mountainfolk: portraits from the north

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

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"

"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

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

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

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!