twinpopsis

unplugged bliss

2012-01-07T15:09:00.004+08:00

on a much lighter note,

wanted to share with you how we spent our long weekend...

we ate outdoors day...

...and night...

slept...

...read... (more on this book later...)

...and not once did i open my laptop...

*bliss*

my eulogy for bellucci

2011-12-31T09:58:00.006+08:00

Bellucci, September 23, 2003 - December 30, 2011

On Sepember 29, 2003, you and 5 of your siblings were born in the corner of my apartment. You were, to your breeder, and to me, the cutest of the bunch. You looked like a teddy bear – with perfectly puffy golden brown hair, and a big black nose. So I guess it was apt that we called you Bellucci, after one of the most beautiful actresses.

As soon as I decided you were the one we were going to keep, I would pick you up from your litter everyday to hold you while I watched TV. You, however, didn’t enjoy the cuddling as much as I did – Doctor Leo even called you a Squeeze-Me Elmo, since you would automatically make this low grunt every time I would hold you close to me. I wish I had recorded that.

Your pretty and always prim hair though seemed like a disguise for someone who was really rougher around the edges. You always had a knack for the “damak” as Mariel would call you. You loved to scratch your smelly ear, and take a whiff off your paw after doing so. You loved to sniff and ingest all things yucky. And you loved to sleep behind the toilet bowl, a habit that Doctor Leo later on blamed for your perennial body odor.

Typically just like anyone who came second, you were always the sillier, more rebellious and charming of the two. Toilet training, keeping you nearby, and following our orders were never as easy as it was with Flower. What you lacked there though, you made up for your irresistible charm. Everyone who knew you well – Troy, Candy, Ats, Mariel – loved you to pieces. How could anyone resist your excitement and tears of joy every time one of them walked in the door?

I was worried about taking you up to Baguio, as I knew how much you hated car rides. You were so calm and happy going up though – makes me think that perhaps you weren’t feeling well then already. You seemed so happy when we got there. So when you showed signs of weakness, none of us thought that something terminal was looming, although I still contacted Doctor Leo immediately when your hind leg started shaking on Wednesday. Doc and I were in constant contact since then.

It was on our last night in Baguio on Friday when you got alarmingly weaker. It was the first time I ever (in my life) told Doc Leo that I was worried, and that worried him too. On our way down, you seemed like you were in good spirits so all anxiety went away. But when I saw you last night, trembling and breathing difficultly, I knew that things had turned for the absolute worst.

I stayed by your side for 20 minutes, waiting for Doc to come. I still remember the last time you looked at me with your big pretty brown eyes – your eyes were so full of pain, almost apologetic for it. I told you to hang in there, as I didn’t have to strength to tell you that it was okay to let go. I hope that my strokes and kisses eased the pain a little. I’m happy I was able to hug, kiss and say goodbye to you one last time before I handed you over to Doctor Leo.

Noey, Mae, Flower and I are overcome with so much sadness and grief. Since Stella was born, I know things have been different, but I hope that you know that you’ll always have a place in our hearts that can never be replaced by anyone else.

All of us – Noey, Mae, Flower, Candy, Ats, Troy, Mariel – miss you terribly, and look forward to your tears of joy when we see each other again.

I love you, Belly.

Last photos of Bellucci in Baguio:

Last video of Belly, taken by Troy in November.

happy birthday to me

2011-11-15T19:58:00.005+08:00

i know it has been weeks... but i still want to share with you how i spent my special day!

first, i was pleasantly surprised at the office...

greeted by balloons,

a cake,

and best of all, sweet handmade cards.

for lunch, the hub took me to one of my fave restos for my favorite spinachy meal...

spinach + mushroom + parmesan + truffle

and spinach ravioli

and to cap the day, i had dinner with the nearest and dearest.

but i think this was the best birthday present of all...

happy birthday to me!

it was berry fun!

2011-11-01T08:57:00.010+08:00

happy halloween, sis!

finally got to partake in some of the family's traditional halloween parties.

first, in our place... a quick 3-lobby (there are 4 lobbies but we only made it to 3) trick-or-treating with friends.

the berry as an elephant...

the berry as a bunny...

then, the traditional trick or treating in the compound. what a treat!

spot the berry...

here we go!

so many treats!

what's so cool are the treats! they're all so personal! none of that junk candy!

here are some "tombs" from twinpopsistoo

they're yanyan! our favorite!

this was my favorite... "Potion Ingredients for Spells" from the Silvas...

inside... serpent elexir, bat droppings, earth worms and eye of newt!

some home baked goodies...

there were also all sorts of practical stuff, toys and even a book!

even the dogs had a treat for the trick or treater!

lastly, we were at lola's for the traditional halloween dinner.

here are who greeted us at the gate.

and different characters greeting us inside...

lots of fun and games, too!

counting candies...

halloween crossword...

too bad we couldn't stay long enough for the rest of the games and prizes!

the berry was too tired already. but it was berry, berry fun.

happy halloween!

what were you up to?

tayo na sa antipolo!

2011-10-24T14:47:00.005+08:00

i know you've been the antipolo church already,

but anyway it was my first time last week,

and i enjoyed some of the elements of the church...

like the floral iron gates...

the big dome...

the gold chandeliers...

and the nice old doors...

yun lang!

baguio art tour

2011-10-12T23:25:00.005+08:00

the next time someone asks me what you can do in baguio, aside from eat and shop at the ukay-ukay (which are perfectly good things to do!), i will definitely recommend going on the baguio art tour!

baguio, home to many artists and artisans has tons of relatively unexplored artspaces that are truly a sight to see :)

from the art of traditional weaving....

to centuries-old huts

ethnic art and sculptures

outdoor installations

and native antiques

from a large museum housing philippine contemporary art

to a hole in the wall that serves dogmeat next to edgy wall art and graffiti

its definitely a perfect way to spend the day in the city :)

magtanim ay di biro

2011-10-11T19:48:00.000+08:00

or in english, "planting rice is never fun" - a song we learned at a very young age, i can't even remember exactly when. but i can sing the lyrics off the top of my head at any given time, without really realizing what it is saying to young, impressionable minds: that planting (rice, trees, etc) is not fun, its a hard job, not something you would eventually want to do when you grow up.

but maybe (hopefully), they aren't teaching this song in schools anymore. because in the last forest building activity i volunteered for this year, we had lots of little hands helping us plant trees in Tublay Central, Benguet....

a beautiful town, with picture perfect scenery,

where kids can really enjoy nature

(in order to truly appreciate it and to later on protect and care for it)

gradeschool kids from the city
together with highschool kids from the local school

carried seedlings to the mountains

and little 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds helped plant trees

alongside the villager elders :)

and everyone shared the same meal at the end of the day -
cabbage soup and pinikpikan :)

hopefully, the seeds have been sown for the next generation.

so one day, i will take the messybessitas with me, (and hopefully stella, tati and alvaro too) to plant trees :)

i ikebana

2011-09-26T08:19:00.004+08:00

missed you at mom's ikebana show...

this was her piece... which i thought was very simple, elegant and tastefully done...

here are the other works that i liked...

i wish i had the time to do this!

alvaro arrives!

2011-09-23T20:02:00.002+08:00

from a first birthday... to a first birth day

here's another milestone you missed!

monitoring alvaro's heartbeat...

the excited lola and doctor

the anxious father...

your substitute "doctor"...

and within a few hours...

hello daddy!

welcome to the world, alvaro!

maligayang tati

2011-09-21T16:30:00.005+08:00

thought i'd share with you the first of 2 major celebrations you missed out on...

here's our little tati's first birthday party.

good job on the pompoms!

highlight of the party was the lunch created by jj yulo... here's the menu.

some chicharon and atsara (not in photo)...

"empanatatis" ala empanadas from ilocos

the super yummy lechon with pinadine sauce...

cookies and shots of melon milk for dessert...

here are the cute stools that were also giveaways for the kids! li'l stelly has the elmo one.

the adults got hopia, something that Milan craved for when she was preggo with Tati.

Hopia like it!

part 2: tarp shoes!

2011-09-14T21:34:00.002+08:00

here's part 2 of my tourguide raket: a trip to a shoe factory in Marikina. this one is owned by a fellow mountaineer friend of mine, who had the idea of making shoes out of old/(over)used advertising tarps!

(full entry here)

here's the shoe he made for me :)

yet another "project" i should really be working on.....

her life's a trip

2011-09-08T20:19:00.000+08:00

who knew that my long sweaty smelly days at divisoria would someday become interesting?

here's a clip of the divisoria tour i took Jen Pollack Bianco on. Jen is a writer/photographer and now travel blogger who has been to 73 countries, making her way up to 100. Manila was one of her stops in asia, where she actually braved the streets of divisoria with me as her tourguide :)

her life IS a trip.

see the rest of her blog entry here.

10a alabama artfair

2011-09-04T20:14:00.001+08:00

paid another visit to the alabama artfair this weekend, and came home with lots of new finds.....

first off, some coffee caramel "merry macarons"! it was quite good actually (except it sorta melts quite easily). i came home with a (small) box of them :)

a decoupaged letter "A" for my "D-R-E-A-M" :)

a picture frame made from a recycled distressed white wood panel

a bronze bicycle pendant

mickey and minnie stud earrings hand-made from polymer clay

tiny "chocnut" dangling earrings!

a ring made from upcycled telephone wires :)

and finally a quirky watercolor artwork by Jaime Bauza for my future mountain home :) hihi

and here are the other bigger stuff i'm mulling over..... a vintage daybed....

white wooden accent chair with denim and "trapo" cushion...

and some vintage desklamps....

watchatink?!?! :D you should really come with me next time!

house house

2011-09-01T10:28:00.002+08:00

on top of our 101 businesses that we're about to set up,

i'm thinking of putting up (literally) this one:

collapsible play houses made of recycled cardboard. cute right???

let's go!

mountainfolk: portraits from the north

2011-08-30T20:18:00.004+08:00

feeling (pa)sartorial, i've been wanting to make an album of the portraits i've taken in some of my trips to the north - there is something about the mountainfolk's "street-style" that fascinates me. must be the boots, scarves, hats and layers of clothing. quirky, without really trying to be.

"mang moreno", natleb, january 2011

"carmen", cabayo, january 2011

cabayo, january 2011

kabayan, july 2011

"florence", labey, august 2011

"forest builder", labey, august 2011

(i was hoping to add a few more portraits from the long weekend but damn you, mina!!!). til the next trip....

ateneo art awards

2011-08-11T22:54:00.007+08:00

i missed you in this year's art awards, so i thought i'd document the exhibit for you :) these were the pieces i really liked (and think that you might have liked too). a warning though: none of my picks won this year - hehehe :)

Renato Barja Jr.

Nona Garcia

Sam Kiyoumarsi

Olivia D'Aboville (works made of plastic spoons and scrubs)

Maria Jeona Zoleta

from two of the winners (both of whom had works that had something to do with bombs....)

Bembol Dela Cruz

Kawayan De Guia

Oh and on the side, I bought myself a Romeo Lee today, which he made especially for me :)

i love it :D

whatchatink? :)

"van gogh is bipolar"

2011-08-10T21:05:00.001+08:00

"van gogh is bipolar" is one of those cool qc spots i've been wanting to get you (and the salsas) to try. both the food and the interiors are interesting, yummy eyecandy :)

to add to its quirkiness, its semi-self service - you write your orders on a piece of paper and slip it into that little window that leads to the kitchen :)

there are teas (and tiaras) for everyone! just feel free to make yourself a cup while wearing a tiara :)

a teapot collection (which i am contemplating on starting!) stands at the center of the room

every nook and corner is a treat for the senses!

there are clocks everywhere! this one's my favorite - projected on beaded curtains :)

a chandelier that hangs from one of its cozy corners

view from the outside

on my visit there, i had some time to sit at van gogh's outside tables, under its fake moons and fairy lights and under the real full moon :)

candyknits

2011-08-08T08:00:00.001+08:00

totally inspired by the birth of Stella, i picked up my knitting needles again recently and finished my first project for the year, just a few weeks before Stella was born.

the cupcake hat - a pattern i had reserved for your future baby years ago :) it turned out to be quite big for Stella (as she was a teeny-tiny newborn baby! and i didn't have any idea what sizes new born babies came in!).

fastforward to 3 months later, it (kinda) fits! haha :) i think she can wear this for several more months (or even a year) :)

then came the baptism bonnet, which you chose, to match her baptism dress :)

this time it was a wee bit too small, and just barely fit stella on baptism day (after being stretched out on a ball of yarn for a week)

daphne and delilah monster has been one of my favorite projects so far - such a fun thing to knit! i wanted stella to have it while she was still a baby so i made it in black and white (and also so it would match her crib and your bedroom too - haha).

it looks huge next to her now, but at the rate she is going, i'm sure it will be looking smaller and smaller in no time :)

so i've finished 3 projects in 4 months, a pretty good ratio for me :) and now i'm finishing my 4th project, a mancowl for twinpopbaguio...

....and with a 5th and 6th one lined up already for tati and alvarro :) i'm excited! :)

its a much better way to spend my free time than watching tv or facebooking :) (thanks stelly!)

artbike

2011-08-07T06:31:00.008+08:00

what a PERFECT way to spend a saturday morning - gallery hopping on bicycles! around 50 artbikers converged at MO's space and made their way to a total of 10 galleries, in a pleasant pace covering 15 kilometers in the BGC, Pasong Tamo, Makati areas:) the galleries welcomed the bikers warmly - we had pandesal, strawberry jam and coffee at the first gallery, bananas and water at another, brownies, cookies, puto, etc at the next ones :) some of the artists were there to meet the bikers, and there was a cool performance at one of the galleries :)

glad i got up early (and biked the extra kilometers all the way from the house and back).

our bike route :)

outside MO's where we all met on a cloudy saturday morning

at Pablo Gallery

inside Manila Contemporary

percussionist Jean Paul Zialcita at NOW gallery, with impromptu zip dancing by one of the bikers (nuk)

at silverlens

Romeo Lee at the Department of Avant-Garde Cliches...

his mural :)

at our last stop, the drawing room

next month will be at the Roxas Blvd galleries and museums! :)

Dear Stella

2011-08-04T14:38:00.002+08:00

On this special day, I want to share with you the letter I wrote to Stella on her blog.

Dear Stella,

Today would have been your Lolo Achie’s 82nd birthday. He would have been beyond joy to see you and hold you in his arms. He was a very loving Dad and Lolo to us all. Just ask any of us, your titos, titas, cousins (from Paolo to Ella), and they’ll tell you how funny, warm and sweet Lolo was to each one.

I’m sure though that in time, you’ll experience Lolo’s sense of humor, simplicity, generosity and kindness in each of us children and grandchildren, and yes, in time, even in yourself.

Sometimes I catch you talking and smiling at a space above you. I’d like to believe that’s Lolo Achie you’re playing with.

When you’re older, I’ll tell you all about him — about his short shorts, big belly, corny jokes, yummy steaks, contagious singing, and more.

Happy Birthday, Dad! We miss you!

feelings are... just you...

2011-07-15T10:29:00.001+08:00

i'm sure you still memorize these by heart the way i do.

home is in your heart!

25 (very) random things about flower

2011-07-02T11:26:00.005+08:00

1. when she was a kid, she wanted to be a boy.
2. and she wanted to be named "monty", after JC Bonnin's character in Flor de Luna (hahahaha!).
3. as non-outdoorsy as she is now, she was actually once a girl scout.
4. she was on the ateneo football team and then the ateneo golf team.
5. she paints really well and was once part of a group exhibit.
6. she is a published children's book author and illustrator.
7. she has always been luminously white, and her feet were mistaken for bread by fish at a creek when we were kids.
8. she had always wanted to have a dog but never got one until she was married.
9. she has never had her own room (shared one with me until she stared sharing one with her husband - hwehwe).
10. she is a serious excel geek!
11. she used to have brooke shields-like eyebrows in the 80s (hehe).
12. she wrote and composed the graduation song for her batch in highschool (or was it gradeschool?).
13. she studied architecture as a second degree (years after graduating from a management engineering course).
14. she and her highschool friends used to have tons of swimming-sleepovers complete with catwalk videos!
15. her driver's license is still expired.
16. she claims to have "quit" smoking several years ago (even if she was never actually a smoker - haha)
17. she doesn't like pesto.
18. she once slapped a girl she fought with in highschool.
19. she does graphic design work on the side (when she has the time) - making logos, etc for her own company and for others.
20. she loves to put labels (made with her labeler) on all her stuff to keep them organized.
21. she loves to read non-fiction books.
22. she has 2 yayas - a daytime and a nighttime one (hehe).
23. she plays the piano, and can play songs by ear.
24. she once took my one of our mom's jars, which she had been looking for for weeks, and gave it to her for christmas. hehehe.
25. she has a phobia (not fear) of cockroaches.

p.s. you're right, this is much harder than i thought.

25 random things about belly

2011-06-29T10:41:00.006+08:00

inspired by a post from kiki&lala, and as a way to fill in our blog's gaps (hehe), lemme jot down 25 random things about you. please reciprocate (hehe).

1. she used to painstakingly collect postage stamps -- with albums and all.

2. she was in love with river phoenix.

3. she was captain of the ateneo varsity football team.

4. she always graduates with honors.

5. she would always be the highest (non-chinese) accounting test scorer in her batch.

6. she can eat as much as (or more than) the boys.

7. she wasn't the cutest baby... but then she would say she's like the ugly duckling who became a swan.

8. she knits.

(wow 25 is a lot ha...)

9. she was engaged before. (mwahaha)

10. she was once a marketing professor in ateneo.

11. she was a kindergarten teacher.

12. she used to teach an autistic toddler one-on-one -- she got him to speak -- and now he goes to college in ateneo!

13. she has a phobia (not fear) of real-looking dolls

14. she can fearlessly kill a big flying cockroach.

15. she can cry buckets with sad movies and books.

16. she loves female images, female singers, female artists.

17. she took classes for photography, pottery, fashion illustration, oil painting, diving, ... did i miss anything?

18. she's a proud UP mountaineer... climbed the highest and 2nd highest peak in the philippines.

19. she still plays football.

20. when she dies, she wants to be remembered as a happy, free spirit.

21. she was once part of manila's 25 best dressed (eiw).

22. first words of her college write-up: small but terrible.

23. she said that if brad pitt met her he would fall for her.

24. she sometimes tap dances when she's drunk.

25. she is a crafts woman at heart -- she even subscribes to martha stewart's website.

corny ba?

moving up

2011-06-14T11:47:00.002+08:00

we've come a long way!

check out the manuals...

and the ad!

*clap*clap*

today was a good day to FLY

2011-06-08T15:33:00.002+08:00

jumping right back in with a video of my first paraglide flight jumping off a ridge in carmona :)

woohoo!

seriously thinking of taking this up as a new sport.....

My Dear Stella

2011-05-31T17:01:00.002+08:00

Taking inspiration from the google vid, here's something Stella can browse when she's older :)

mydearstella.wordpress.com

dear sophie

2011-05-23T17:55:00.001+08:00

i saw this on kiki&lalaland and makes me think if i should do something similar...

*sniff*

dearstella blog maybe?

in time and space

2011-05-14T14:38:00.006+08:00

it's been a month since stella's arrival...

and i've been trying real hard to get snaps of her in reference to time...

... and reference to size too...

on our bed...

beside orchids...

with her dad...

and mom...

and with her one-year-old nephew!

nesting - part 3

2011-05-07T18:10:00.002+08:00

so all the nesting paid off...

here's how our new nest looks... still in black and white :)

and here's her own li'l nest...

yey!

color trends

2011-05-04T11:06:00.001+08:00

hey it's been a while!!!

anyway have a look at how a magazine used our pad as their color pegs for the season!

international azkals

2011-04-11T07:03:00.004+08:00

just makin' a salute to all our half-pinoy brothas making a splash in the international sports world...

here's the talented miami heat coach, erik spoelstra...

pitcher of the 2010 world series champ sf giants, tim lincecum...

and just this morning, second placer at the master's, 21-yr-old rookie, jason day.

ipakita sa mundo!

how sweet it is to be loved!

2011-04-05T11:22:00.007+08:00

i missed you at my last (?) shower. what a pretty party!

the hors d'ouevres...

breaded eggplant with chorizo panacotta...

foie gras on ensaymada and balsamic reduction (!)...

prizes for the games :)

the bootiful buffet...

with our fave dessert...

games...

my prizes (to match your hat :) )...

giveaways...

all in anticipation for...

*grateful*

back when you were the bigger one

2011-03-30T09:08:00.002+08:00

happy birthday to you!

happy birthday!

happy birthday to you!

to ze doggies

2011-03-28T13:42:00.003+08:00

as we get ready for the new addition to the family,

just wanted to pay a short tribute to flower, who's always keeping the hub company...

... in the morning...

...at night...

...while eating...

and to belly who's just cute as can be...

woof!

lil stickers

2011-03-17T17:21:00.001+08:00

cute? cute? cute?

these are my latest on-the-side design jobs... stickers for graduation-party giveaways.

cute? cute? cute?

waiting

2011-03-12T17:51:00.007+08:00

patience is a virtue.... that i don't normally have. "i hate waiting." it's ironic that i've ended up in an industry that involves a lot of it. but i'm starting to see a bright side to it ...

waiting for their turn

waiting for night to fall

waiting in traffic

waiting for the bus

while waiting for the sun to set

waiting for more

waiting and counting as they fly by

slow.down.

waiting for the rain

waiting til they dry

waiting for me :D

waiting for change (and hopefully doing something about it!)

waiting in anticipation! :)

how sweet it is to be loved by you!

2011-03-06T13:18:00.009+08:00

hey sis, big THANKS for the uber cute baby book shower!

i love the table settings... with the miniature food...

and fruit shakes in baby bottles, books, mini sandwiches, tacitos...

and of course the mini-book flaglets on the cupcakes!!!

and how cute are the lunch bag giveaways with apple and blackboard stickers?

with personalized book plates and mini apple!!!

and of course all the wonderful books!

*hugs*!

postcards and parents

2011-02-22T09:04:00.004+08:00

there is something about reading a handwritten letter that still makes my heart skip a beat :) i got these postcards from mom and dad when we were still too young to travel with them. i'm glad i've kept them all these years.

from japan

from germany

something you could do for stella one day :) hee hee.

cuteness

2011-02-17T08:32:00.004+08:00

look at who visited me?

can't see her? here's a closer look.

and an even closer look... check out her perfectly round lips under the clear pacifier :)

and speaking of perfectly round, here's the super cute cake from yesterday's shower...

and here's the giveaway.

*grateful*

art start

2011-02-09T17:13:00.004+08:00

lately, we've been finding extra joy in looking at art for kids.

we caught the last day of the "we are not aimless" show at the manila contemporary art gallery.

it's a group show of illustrators. so cute.

(check out the whole show here.)

it didn't seem that well-supported, but we did manage to get a little sum'n sum'n... to be added to our small collection...

these ones from silverlens...

an original by pepper roxas...

yes, my fave siopao... by pepper too...

this one painted by a nephew when he was around 5... can you believe it???

pieces from the drawing room...

watchatink?

b&w bedroom

2011-02-05T14:44:00.007+08:00

i'm writing this on our new desk: the piece that finishes our bedroom project.

isn't the desk pretty? it's by kenneth cobonpue.

anyway, remember our inspiration?

here's how we interpreted it...

and here are a few of my fave details...

my bedside b&w photo of pops.

some serene drawings...

my siopao...

your paris photos :)

a little vignette...

still a li'l work to be done. but i think we did pretty good...

...until we will make changes to add this.

domo arigato mr. roboto

2011-02-04T10:06:00.004+08:00

robot is that new japanese resto (where the old wasabi used to be)... what can i say?

1. very interesting modern interiors and lighting design- i especially love the wave ceiling of light bulbs and the disco ball bathroom! but the finishes looked a little rough around the edges (i noticed a lot of "imperfections" but maybe that's just me - hehe)

2. the japanese fusion food was okay though i usually prefer just regular fresh japanese food. i did end up ordering my usual edamame (which was served with lemon! interesting!), salmon and uni sashimi anyway - and those were very good :)

3. the music when we came in was bossanova. ugh. but they did change it upon our request - hehehe.

we must have been annoying customers - hihihi :) chickout the photos :)

the entrance with a digital screen sign. the vertical white bars sort of still remind me of the old wasabi.

(this looks much whiter in real life :) - wave ceiling made of light bulbs, steel and glass interiors, white couches, ghost chairs (umay), mirror tables

close up of the ceiling of bulbs (philippines = cheap labor, hahaha)

futuristic hallway to the bathroom - lots of mirrors

the disco ball bathroom with tentacle like sensor faucets

little mirrors everywhere, even on the floor

the light changes from whitish blue during dinner and then to raspberry colors after

the mirror tables are kinda fun.

on another note, we passed by salon de ning at the penn next door (one of only 4 in the world, i heard). and the interiors were AMAZING! so much thought went into every detail, and looks like they didn't spare anything at all... you HAVE to chickitout. here is a peak at the dramatic entrance....

mercato centrale

2011-01-29T15:27:00.003+08:00

beer battered dory with chips and garlic mayo (with probiotic mango banana smoothie!)

us beef tapa with scrambled eggs and rice

jasmine rice, garlic potatoes and creamy chicken with kalamansi green tea

bread pudding with 3 little spoons (heehee)

let's go back! :)

nesting - part 2

2011-01-28T16:02:00.001+08:00

how beautiful is my bodega?

everything in labelled, clear plastic boxes.

*things that make me happy*

postcards

2011-01-27T09:14:00.004+08:00

i know you have a thing for postcards... and i don't blame you.

there's something about them that's so sweet and nostalgic...

the web, though paperless and quick, just doesn't seem to give the same feel -- and future memories.

here was one in 1977 for the hub...

same name

2011-01-25T16:22:00.001+08:00

can you believe it?

we visited a dear friend & artist a few days back...

and guess who we met too? their dog, bellucci!

what are the chances?

nesting - part 1

2011-01-23T15:11:00.003+08:00

as you know, i am nesting... as are you and everyone else in the family, it seems.

anyway, just wanted to share with you the beginnings of my wonderful, OC, organizing journey...

indulge me...

2 big boxes of memorabilia...

5 drawers of christmas ornaments...

and one christmas tree...

all packed up and organized.

*bliss*

i'll keep you posted.

beehive building

2011-01-19T10:04:00.003+08:00

eyed this building in the sm mall of asia complex... absolutely love it!

could it be sm's? if yes, hard-to-believe but great nonetheless.

it reminds me of this building i love in the single man. can't seem to find a photo/clip of it though.

yun lang :)

a very long engagement

2011-01-16T19:27:00.002+08:00

another great work by jean pierre jeunet, director of amelie

is this movie i just saw...

absolutely loved it... it had the quirkiness of amelie, but it had just a li'l more depth and complexity to it.

you would have loved the set design as well -- the color scheme and look is different, but it has that surreal and dream-like feel like amelie does.

here's the trailer...

speaking of great set designs, i've been catching some episodes of this on hbo.

absolutely love the set and costume design... not since mad men have a seen such great effort in the details. you'll love it.

the introduction even has a magritte feel to it.

try to catch it :)

Orosman at Zafira

2011-01-13T21:00:00.004+08:00

i met this guy the other day who was involved with this production.

it's a modern take of one of balagtas' stories... of course the only one we know is the then-tedious-but-probably-brilliant florante't laura.

written in the 1850's, the story is ahead of its time with undertones on religious tolerance and the empowerment of women.

here's a teaser:

it's a modern take on a filipino classic... so think style of leo and claire's romeo & juliet.

this one's for twinpophub

2011-01-10T09:12:00.002+08:00

you'll like him even more :)

cow and chicken

2011-01-08T08:07:00.006+08:00

I had a very different new year's celebration this year walking through the mountains for six days where I witnessed these, front row, for the very first time.....

the pinikpikan chicken:

I watched as the chicken was brought in by a young girl from outside their house, its neck got slit privately in the next room, feathers plucked and burned in the fire we were sitting around, the chicken "roasted" by hand, cleaned, chopped up and boiled in a pot.

And then a few days later....the cow, slaughtered for an entire village for a thanksgiving celebration:

the cow's heart was stabbed then it was cut open so they could take all the guts and parts out

the parts were carried down and thrown straight into the pot for cooking

and a few hours later, the meat was served in bowls on the ground where everyone sat in organized rows to eat

the head was given to the owner (and was eaten the next day by some of the villagers as well).

Eenteresting, to say the least. Though I had to turn away discreetly a few times, and I silently said a prayer for the animals as I watched, the experience didn't make me want to turn vegetarian for the new year, as I thought it would. It actually made me appreciate the simplicity of "taking only what life requires and nothing more", as a friend so aptly put it.

Spending new year's eve far far away from the indulgence we've grown accustomed to is an amazing experience I will take with me for the rest of the year. HNY!

happy new year!

2011-01-05T15:59:00.003+08:00

happy new year!

we started 2011 very quiet... this is the first time i've ever spent it away from family (but with the hub of course).

the view from the top was fascinating -- fireworks all over... of course photos don't do justice.

rockwell also had an incredible display at the stroke of midnight... my camera couldn't quite capture the awesome-ness of it all!

so here's to another year that passed...

and to being thankful for all that has been.

to all that has come to be...

and to all that will be!

cheers!

twas the week before Christmas...

2010-12-24T09:52:00.007+08:00

its been quite a busy week before Christmas spent at the North (no, not Pole - hehe)...

first stop, Labey- to deliver some Christmas cheer and books for the school library :) a landslide went through the town and the school of Labey last year during typhoon pepeng. they are still rebuilding a year later but it is nice to see them smiling and celebrating again :)

books were mostly donated by twinpopats and her friends :)

a makeshift classroom at Labey school while the new one still being built...

happy Christmas kids :)

next stop, a 3-day bike ride around the mountains of Benguet - with looong downhills, steeep uphills, the most beautiful views and the friendliest villages :)

resting at naguey

looking back at the view after a long and steep uphill...

resting at the top...

stopping by the river at pasdong for a swim :)

the river actually looks like the marsyangdi in nepal!

spent the night at pasdong, a village in the middle of a valley, surrounded by mountains and ricefields... and with a basketball court right in the middle of nowhere :)

beautiful view of terraces on the next morning's ride...

cheery sunflowers waiting at the top of a veeeery long and steep portion...

the view from inuman...

our home on our second night at boklaoan

view from our window...

finally at kapangan, before heading back to baguio...

so who was i with this whole week? mystery man! ha! :)

azkals !!!!!!

2010-12-09T08:06:00.005+08:00

last night, i watched our team draw the initially dominating myanmar team during the suzuki cup...

here's our cute, 6'3" goalie neil ethridge as he gets to the ball...

i must say, what a good looking team we have!!! from what i'm picking up from the commentators, a lot of them are from the UK... perhaps with filipina mums?

here are highlights from the game that made them famous... the li'l team beating the defending champs! (check out our cute team)

the vietnamese coach was such a sore loser...

and i quote:

"Football is not this, football is not putting eight players in front of the area with no offensive system...

...If they think they can win the championship bsed on that then poor football. If the Philippines think they can win playing that way then my dear, poor, poor football in this region."

read the whole article here.

here's the coach refusing to shake the hand of our (cuter and better-dressed) coach.

PFFFFFT!

with the draw with myanmar last night, we move on to the semis!

usually, semi-finals games are home-and-away... but it seems like we don't have a decent stadium to host ours here.

We don't meet the FIFA standards... so looks like the games on Dec 16 and 19 will be away-and-away.

SAD!

pam

2010-12-08T19:49:00.004+08:00

last sunday, i went to the opening of PAM, or the pinto art museum.

can you imagine pinto now looks like this???

it's a sprawling spread of galleries, open spaces and gardens...

some of the galleries...

the museum shop...

a pocket garden.... looove the leeroy scuplture. can you spot it?

watching the auction at the pinto gallery from above...

a few auction pieces...

thought you might like this one called "babaylan"...

let's go!!! it's totally worth the trip :)

bye bye bed

2010-12-02T17:44:00.004+08:00

i kinda felt bad having to say goodbye to our very first purchase as a married couple...

we've replaced it with this...

but we're a longs way from achieving the look of our peg.

will keep you posted!

dream big!

2010-11-30T19:18:00.003+08:00

taking a break from the holiday rush (and from our blog delinquency!) by sharing you what was shared with us.

a few weeks back, i had a friend arnel casanova come to our office to share his story with us.

if there's anyone who can say that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, it's him.

he was born into a very poor family,

and against all odds, he was able to finish school...

learning english through the old pages of old Newsweek magazines that were used to wrap fish in the market he worked in as a child...

working in a bakery (to get through college), and sleeping on its floors since he had nowhere to stay...

all this (and more) didn't stop him from succeeding...

and when i say "succeed", i mean

graduating with flying colors,

getting a law degree

(while working for a law degree, winning an honorary award from President Ramos for some peacekeeping work he had done),

... and yes... getting a degree in Harvard.

anything IS possible!

i saw red

2010-11-18T17:11:00.009+08:00

binondo, november 2010

kalesa at tasty dumplings...

eng bee tin

cheongsam

art deco street posts

asado chong fan at wai ying

egg tarts

pot belly

altar

el hogar

malate church fountain

my little tribute to manila :)

the magic of pacman and the philippines

2010-11-17T18:40:00.004+08:00

coming out of our hybernation, let me share a few thoughts about the pacquiao fever i'm sure we both welcomed in the past week.

taking from the recently released biography,

let me quote a pretty accurate and sad description of our beloved city...

"...Manila, the decaying capital of the Philippines. It's one of Southeast Asia's most impoverished capital cities, a modern Third World metropolis created by the worst of colonial intentions and a parade of some of the most ridiculous dictators ever to walk the earth. Even Manila's well-off cannot totally escape the city that they have helped create: A trip to a shopping mall restaurant, or five-star hotel involves machine gun-carrying guards and a canine unit that checks vehicles for bombs or guns. Even the most exclusive areas, such as Metro Manila's Makati City are within fifty feet of endless shantytowns, which catch fire on a regular basis. One in five children must forego school for work and walk through the busiest traffic without a care for life or limb. Impoverished men who cannot find work drown their days with a mixture of Colt 45 beer and homemade gin. A typhoon in 2009 submerged 80 percent of the city in mud, and the city's bay-side dump, with its black clouds of flies, has four thousand residents. One of Manila's inexplicable tourist attractions is the Hobbit House, a bar in which the waiters are all dwarfs..."

but, of course, we -- and i mean people like you and me-- remain optimistic as ever.

and as manny's victory (and graciousness!) shone last Sunday, a certain blogger,

couldn't have described last Sunday's magic any better...

"...what is on display when Pacquiao speaks is essential Filipino values that typify the elusive best of a country whose people’s humble and gentle virtues are not particularly well understood abroad. This is, after all, a world where, for example, some cultures have adopted the term “filipina” to be slang for “housekeeper”. The truth is, it’s easy for ignorant westerners to underestimate and misinterpret the gentle, gracious nature of the Filipino character — yet somehow Manny Pacquaio is singlehandedly changing that, teaching the world and reminding the Philippine universe that humility, grace, compassion, and empathy can coexist with the heart of a warrior...

... And so now he has the position he sought — the position of “public servant”, and he has stated that his goal is to become a “champion of public service” as his life transitions toward a new phase. Boxing has been his vehicle to “make people happy” in one profound, “let me lift you up” way that Filipinos perhaps understand better than the rest of us. That phase will end. But now, today, he is an elected Congressman who through both his boxing and public service has truly has made millions of people happy in that transcendant way he seeks–so truly and so beautifully that the skinny kid who grew up on the streets may well someday have the opportunity to lead not just an impoverished Sarangani province, but an entire resurgent nation that with Pacquaio as example-maker-in-chief–a long-suffering and self doubting country that under his inspired leadershp may lift itself up as a country in ways that would be just as surprising, yet just as inevitable, as Pacquaio’s rise to the top in boxing. I for one believe in Manny Pacquiao–his heart, his sincerity, the sheer power of his will, and the true Filipino essence of his character. He makes me feel hope for the future of the Philippines, and proud to be part of a Fil-Am household that has plenty of Filipino blood flowing through our family’s veins."

(read the whole article here).

now we continue struggle to find our own identity...

and i think carlos celdran was right in calling out DOT for their somewhat, for lack of a better term, *corny* new slogan.

(the calling out was successful as they are going back to the drawing board).

i just wish our DOT could come up with something that could really capture that 'magic' that first-time visitors experience over and over...

that 'thing' that people like our business guests, friends of our bro, and all the other unsuspecting foreigners discover here...

it's a combination of our speaking and thinking in english, our interesting history, the sophistication of our CBDs and night life, the cool fashion and design sense of our people, the beauty of our beaches and reefs, our openness to diversity, our unexpected western worldliness, and yes, our graciousness as exemplified by the pacman himself.

sorry, kinda wordy post... that's all :)

vintage kitsch

2010-11-08T08:41:00.003+08:00

remember how we wanted to make a vintage-kitchen-inspired cardboard booth for messy?

well, we finally pulled it off...

how cute is this?

that's all :)

the t-shirt

2010-11-07T12:05:00.009+08:00

its interesting how a simple t-shirt can say a lot about you and your friends....haha!

(taken at a recent drinking session at home, the first of a series of farewell parties...)

karaoke in a t-shirt!

hmmm

just climb!

"be green"

up mountaineers!

haha!

rainy day

2010-11-05T11:47:00.002+08:00

enjoying the rain from my (new) room :)

happy birthday twinpopsis!

2010-11-03T01:17:00.002+08:00

found some happy childhood photos of us :) good memories you can think about for the next 6 months :)

book binge

2010-11-01T09:51:00.005+08:00

ever since i got my kindle last week, i've been on a book binge...

here's what i've read so far:

a really interesting read... it's incredible how our first 9 months of our lives affect us more than we think!!!

here's a new finding... 20% of our IQ is determined by what mum ate/felt/used/did while she was preggy with us. makes me want to interview mom!!!

read an interview with the author here, to get more of an idea.

next book, this:

awww... what a heartwarming book about a little english island after the german occupation.

the whole book is written in letters -- genius!

it has the quirkiness and warmth of that tv show picket fences -- remember that?

third book, this:

this one reminds me of the two of us...

it's about two 'different' sisters with a bit of mystic powers... with special potions, their boys, their estranged mom, and everything in between.

it reminds me a lot of 'like water for chocolate' :)

hmmm... what to read next?

moon leaf tea shop :)

2010-10-26T18:01:00.003+08:00

because of this weekend's liquor ban, alcoholics who are non-coffee drinkers like me (hehe), had to look for other things to do on a sunday night... and so i discovered this 3-week old little hole in the wall in UP village...

cold teas in a wide variety of flavors! our first try on the menu were the wintermelon milk tea and jasmine milk tea. pretty good :) i'll be back to try the caramel pudding milk tea, passionfruit green tea, yakult jasmine (which was rated with 2 stars), eenteresting :)

oh and these were taken with MY new toy. hihihi :)

my new toys

2010-10-26T16:42:00.003+08:00

look at what i have!

it's my new kindle!

i love it!

less books = less paper...

i can download a book in less than a minute...

i can buy a book even if it's not here yet...

the battery lasts for more than a month (since it's low tech)...

it's light and i bring it everywhere. yahoo!

TOY #2:

my new griller!

absolutely love it.

the oil drips out on the side...

and we can make paninis too.

case in point:

that was my grilled chicken panini that i made myself. it was good too!

delirium!!

2010-10-18T17:00:00.003+08:00

just discovered "delirium"! - limited edition designer objects made by leeroy new. yes, the artist behind my favorite exhibit, "balete", which i also posted about here. i thought of you and twinpophub right away when i saw these! (pick one for your christmas gift from me!!!)

sacred heart lamp

skull ashtrays

male and female gaping mouth candle holders (my pick!)

voluptuous fertility idol (an overweight paperweight)

they'll be coming out with rings and pendants soon. such an exciting discovery don't you think?!?!

fingers crossed

2010-10-16T08:59:00.004+08:00

tomorrow, 7 of our team will be taking their grade school and high school diploma tests.

it's the first time we're doing this, ever since the opening of our school last february.

needless to say, i am praying with all my heart that they pass.

sharing with you my letter to them...

***

Dear Angge, Jeff, Anabelle, Jasmine, Ashley, Bai, Roselyn,

I just wanted to wish you all the best this coming Sunday. Sorry too for not being able to be there during these last few months -- but I am sure that you are getting more than enough attention from Teacher Rose and Ate Marge.

I know we always pressure you to pass the test. Please understand that this is only because we all believe that you can. But at this point, I just want to all congratulate you already for all the strides that you've made over the past months. No matter what the outcome of the tests, we're all already very proud of you knowing that you have been, and will try your best.

Please don't forget to give your sincere thanks to Ate Marge and Teacher Rose who have been tirelessly working to make you all learn more.

Again, best of luck this Sunday! Congratulations to you all! We are all very proud of you!

Love,

Ate Krie

***

please say a li'l prayer too!

fangtastic

2010-10-13T20:14:00.003+08:00

and while we're on a creative binge,

here's another one i'm quite proud of...

ria asked me to make an invite for her daughter's 7th birthday...

here are the pegs she gave...

and here's what i came up with...

pretty good huh? :)

(oh and there are 7 bats for her 7 years :))

happy birthday, rocio!

kitchen duty

2010-10-12T21:48:00.002+08:00

spent my saturday on kitchen duty and this is what i cooked (under instructions from a chef friend)....

roast chicken stuffed with (home-made) herb butter, onions, garlic, lemongrass, pandan leaves and celery, seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce and drizzled with sesame oil - slow cooked for over 2 hours at 350degrees. mmmm. good. *proud too* (but not as proud as you - haha)

the house on the web

2010-10-12T19:03:00.006+08:00

i've been quite busy working on this.

finally, here it is...

it's our HOUSE website...

at www.ourprojecthouse.org

...which is quite cute if i could say so myself.

*proud*

babooshka!

2010-10-11T13:27:00.008+08:00

you probably remember that i've always wanted a babooshka doll when i was growing up ever since i saw this on sesame street (not so sure why, because now it just looks a bit creepy - haha)

i actually ended up never owning these russian dolls. but now i really want one of these... designer babooshka dolls to honor russian vogue's 10th year... now which one to pick....

marc jacobs

YSL

versace

stella mcartney

sonia rykiel

nina donis

moschino

martin margiella (oddity!!!)

D&G

i want!

stop the bullying!

2010-10-08T12:40:00.004+08:00

blame it on my hormones, but i'm really moved by all the recent teenage suicides in the states.

there was billy lucas, a 15-yr-old who hung himself last month after being called f** too many times.

then there was tyler clementi, an 18-year-old violinist who jumped off the GW bridge after his roommate secretly streamed a video of him with his partner.

there were 3 more prominent teenage suicides last month... all because of bullying.

i know intolerance has caused us so many deaths... just remember the inquisition, the holocaust, terrorism,... the list goes on......

but when kids resort to suicide because of intolerance, it reaches an all-time heart-breaking high.

i remember when i was in prep, around the time this photo was taken...

i was bullied incessantly by these two girls.

my sweet revenge? getting accelerated on the 2nd quarter of that school year. all of a sudden, i was in first grade, "higher" than them.

thanks, *brains*!

but who knows how i would have changed had i not skipped prep?

*sigh*.

i shall end this serious post with ellen's message.

shooting

2010-10-07T01:12:00.004+08:00

random shots taken at one of my work shoots (shooting in a shoot)...feeling two stops over. hahaha.

macro shot of my art directed dew

the stunning view from one of the condos we shot from (at 15 sec exposure)

some shots taken with my holga :) (i miss film)
the photographer photographed

rooftop garden

details details

(now thinking of my "christmas project"...)

two stops over

2010-10-06T08:55:00.002+08:00

*clap*clap*clap* to twinpopbro whose uber cool show is coming to us this november.

details here.

munchin' brunchin'

2010-10-03T14:52:00.011+08:00

in honor of friday's feast... that i am still pretty "hungover" from,

this is what i had today:

ricotta cheese and banana pancakes with passion honey yoghurt smoothie...

mmm mmm good. thanks, sala bistro.

and just to playback a little to relive the celebration... here's a peek:

from hedges...

to cupcakes...

to crepes and trifles...

and cream puffs...

from the cutesy goblets...

to the styled table numbers...

... and bathroom signs...

and kitschy garden chairs...

from the french toasts... (my fave!)

to bacon cups...

to eggs benedicts...

and cheeses...

from sausages, rosti & eggs...

to steaks...

mmm mmm good!

nuit blanche

2010-10-02T22:45:00.002+08:00

i wish i was in paris this weekend...

Nuit Blanche 2010 en avant-première
Uploaded by mairiedeparis. - Discover more animation and arts videos.

we should so something like this here in manila!

one year later

2010-09-27T00:04:00.004+08:00

to remember last year's tragic floods from Ondoy, i've planted a teak tree in the UP campus today. i'll be taking care of it and making it grow, so it can be my constant sign of hope for this earth.

merci beaucoup!

2010-09-25T17:58:00.002+08:00

as you say goodbye to your paris,

i shall say goodbye to my little slice of paris, thanks to you...

here's my last, savored pistachio bite.

merci!!!

au revoir

2010-09-22T10:41:00.003+08:00

...for now.... i will be back :)

taken on my last night in paris...

:(

merindol!!!

2010-09-17T22:58:00.007+08:00

i am totally inspired by this b&b and restaurant in merindol - a very small, off the radar town in the provence. both places are owned and run by this beautiful young french couple, who live in the french countryside most of the year, and travel to asia in the winter. looove it.

my favorite indoor/outdoor space in pink :D

the breakfast nook at the other side of the room

colorful corners

the pink/black restaurant space

the orange room

moodboard! :D watchutink?

antibes

2010-09-15T02:43:00.004+08:00

my favorite parts about antibes...

the jewel blue beaches...

fresh framboise from the marche on the plage

the marche....

les glaces (and remy!)

the old town architecture...

the colorful windows...

(and colorful snails)...

the cobblestone streets and little doggies (that look like luc)....

teehee :)