Just as the rain...

starts pouring in, my creative juices start flowing in, too! Thanks to the encouragement of friends and a challenge I am slowly getting my groove back. If not for hobby-biz, I will still be scrapping today, haha! But I also need to take care of my biz because it supports my scrapbooking & the people working with me.

I managed to finish my entry for the Scrappin Mom's Idol contest 1.5 hrs before the deadline. I guess my brain works faster and efficiently when there is a deadline! hehe. After uploading my simple layout (this is all I can squeeze from my brain!), my office is a mess - lots of stuff lying around, strips of paper, adhesives, ribbons! Haay!!! All this mess for just 1 layout???!!! So, I decided, I'll take the day off from work and just scrap 1 more or even 2 para sulit naman yung kalat ko! Maybe this is one thing that keeps me from scrapping - I hate cleaning the mess, putting back my stuff to their places. If only I can just leave all my stuff as is without having to worry about my kids messing up with my scissors, adhesives, papers....haaayyyy, I can scrap anytime the creative juice kicks in!

And so I made another layout - pics from my kids' Halloween Party in school last year. I got to use my supplies that have been there for quite some time. I only noticed that the sticker border is shorter than 12"! Nah, forget the OC-ness! My kids are happy when they saw the layout and to me that is the BEST PART of all!

A BIG THANK YOU to all who emailed me, left msg on cbox & gallery for encouraging me to scrapbook and continue working on my website. Salamat po!!!

And how about my website???? I didn't work on it since last Saturday (went out of town with hubby & friends for 3 days) and have not touched it since then. That is why I scrapbooked - to take a break from what happened and to recharge. But I'm not giving up...will work on it again soon.. no one else will do it for me anyway. :)

I wanted to cry.......

In fact, I am sobbing as I type this blog. :( huhuhu... After working on about 28 pages and 6 days, I just found out I made a terrible mistake on my website!!! I used layers instead of tables and now I had to resize almost everything, reposition and tons of copy/pasting to do to display it correctly. Most of the pages were not done from templates so I have to edit it one by one.... I feel so stupid but what can I do? I took up a 2-day Dreamweaver course 5 years ago and just "re-learned" it last week? waaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! yoko na!!!!

So I guess I won't be uploading my new site tomorrow....its impossible for me unless I plan to kill myself. Sorry.....

:(

After 5 years...

I will finally be uploading my new website this week!

It took me a long time to decide whether to have it done by someone else or not. I've inquired some web designers in the past but I'm afraid I will just give them headache because of my ever-changing concept for my site. Believe me, every year, I come up with a new design for my website, make a few pages but never got to upload it! Its like, I wanted to have this and that feature but I end up with the same website. Then I realized its like scrapbooking - its impossible for me to have my scrapbooks done by someone else! (and hubby agrees! :) )

Finally, I decided I needed to do something about it, right here, right now. So last Friday, July 27, I started working 12 hours straight doing my first few pages. I like the design better - simpler and more manageable.

Take a peek of my home page. I will upload it (finish or not finish, pass your papers!) by Friday, August 3.

So this is what keeps me quiet these days...no scrapping, no Monday mosaic. I am dead serious on finally uploading my website. :)

Monday Mosaic

I'm back with my Monday Mosaic. Been busy for the past week with drafts & designs...busy and tired but I felt productive...just don't ask me about my scrapbooking! Zero, wah, nadah. :(

Have you realized that July is almost over and just one month and it will be the start of "ber" months??? Next thing you know 2007 is over. So far, what have you accomplished or for the past 7 months? :)

(Top-bottom, left-right)

Row #1

(1) Going through some paper samples sent to me by Kichi Inc. who I met at the National Stationery Show. They've got really nice printed Japanese papers :); (2) Tried a contemporary design for a Save-the-Date card for a client. This is not digital though - layers of handmade paper & photo; (3) Our new product offering for give-aways: digitally-designed handmade ref magnets - I combined digital design with handmade materials to come up with a small but useful give-away for any occasion...one that will not gather dust in your home. ;) (4) New sample for a client with additional translucent vellum overlay

Row #2

(5 & 6) Finished invites for a client and now ready for delivery; (7) Invitation design for an 80th Birthday for a new client; (8) Bought myself Bob Ong's 2nd book - "Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino" - spent my Sunday afternoon laughing out loud till my abs tightened! Such a good book with lots of (common) sense for every Pinoy! :)

Row #3

(9) Got my Dud a copy of (again) Bob Ong's 1st book A B N K K B S N P L Ako! I'm sure he'll have loads of fun reading this hilarious-but-with-sense book. (10-12) Some pictures taken last Saturday at Serendra, Fort Bonifacio. Its our first time to there and we tried Cupcakes by Sonja. For me, it was a bit sweeter than Magnolia Bakery in New York City where Sonja apparently worked and got the idea.

Row #4

(13) Got 2 new magazines to read this week! Haay! Kelan kaya ako makakapag-scrapbook????!!!! (14) I read Pottery Barn's catalog which I got last April for some ideas on our new booth design for Wedding Expo Phils. in September. Eye candy! (15) Made some sketches for our booth at the Wedding Expo. Now I need to find someone who will make this into reality! (16) I bought a shirt & blouse at Just G. & Penshoppe last week and their tags caught my eye. Cute color combos and I like the texture of the Penshoppe tag. Lately I noticed my mug beside my printer is overflowing with tags of shirts, blouses, & pants that I bought for the past months! I'm thinking of making a mini album for these. :)

That's it, pansit! :)

Have a great week ahead of you!

No Monday Mosaic this week...

Been busy for the past days, replying to my email backlogs and designing.

A funny conversation between my 2 kids while playing spiderman game on the internet last Sunday:

coy: "How do you do that???" (tells my 6 y/o son to my 5 y/o daughter)

lui: "You just ipit it! You know, ipit the keyboard!!

Filipino: Ipit (in English = press)

Haha! :)

On Autumn and Aging

While I was taking a picture of a new design for my client, I noticed the beauty of a pressed maple leaf that my Dud sent me from the States. You see, every fall season in the US, I ask my Dud to send me maple leaves (pressed between pages of a magazine) for my invitations! The first time he did that was when he was at Central Park in New York. He told me that he got some stares from the people around, maybe wondering if he's crazy or having Alzheimer's! I was touched by his experience because he did that for me even if people thought he was crazy. :) Behind that maple leaf, is my father's love for me and his support to my sometimes-crazy ideas.

But yesterday, a different thought crossed my mind. As I look at color of the maple leaf, I began to think about aging in people. Our youth is as vibrant as the green leaves of a maple tree in spring. But as we age, the color of our lives become richer just as the maple leaves turn to a shade of yellow to orange to brown and deep red. It may not be full of energy as the green leaf but the changing shades represent the phases in life that we go through.

By autumn, these leaves will eventually fall just like when we reach our old age, our body will deteriorate. But it doesn't end there...by this time, the color of a maple leaf is deeper and that makes autumn, autumn just as our lives are now richer, deeper and as colorful as the autumn leaves.

For May...

This is for you. I hope this helps. Amateur video courtesy of my nanny. :)

Tell me and I'll forget;

Show me and I may remember;

Involve me and I'll understand.

Chinese Proverb

Monday Mosaic

Happy Monday! Just want to share with you another mosaic I made today. I'm loving these mosaics coz it makes it easier for me to share snippets of my life through these pictures.

(Top to bottom, left to right):

(1) A draft of the invitation we are working on this week. Don't be deceived by the looks of this invite... "nakukulot ang buhok ko jan!" or lets just say, it is challenging. :);

(2) Sunday morning (July 8), I let Loui play on my laptop. I was browsing the MOMA site (Museum Of Modern Art) when she saw an interactive tour of the Museum. So I let her browse the site while I try to read. I was surprised when she showed me the "collage" she made! She spelled out her nickname "LOUI". I printed it right away and showed it to her dad. We were both amazed at how such a young age, she is showing signs of great interest in the arts. :)

(3) I managed to read 3 past issues of Creating Keepsakes that I haven't opened since May! Great stuff! Lots of inspiration! I'm having an inspiration overload! Now I really got to work on my scrapbook! So much backlog!

(4) Finally wrote my TO-DO list for the week (and month) on my "new" Starbucks planner. How can I resist buying this collectible for just Php150 even if its half of the year already?! Even my practical hubby also got one! Besides, an idea popped in today on what I can do with this planner that will last for a long time. ;)

(5) I'm soooo loving this site! Makes color combination so much easier!!! Eye candy, too! I'm beginning to think about what paints to use on our walls; the cardstocks that I'm going to use on my layouts. :)

(6) Started out this week with paying the bills. My mom used to remind us when we were young not to pay or shell out money on Mondays for some superstitious belief. But for me, its like making things right at the start of the week, don't you think? :) At least I got a rebate from Digitel. :)

(7) A friend commissioned me to dress up my kraft letters as a gift for her friend's son who will have a birthday party this coming weekend. Will post the finished product after.

(8) Made sketches for 2 new clients so I can finally make the samples for them plus the other one pending by tomorrow. Need to finish these by Tuesday.

(9) I gave Loui a new set of pastel pens for her Spray Art and she played with it this afternoon. I can see that she is becoming a freestyle artist. Way to go, Loui!

We ended that day watching the Transformers (again!) this time with the kids. I love Bumblebee & Optimus Prime! :)

That's it for now. Have to rest...tomorrow's a busy day for me.....

Checked!

This year I saw myself accomplishing a lot of my to-do's on my 101-things-to-do-before-i-die list. Its not that I am being morbid here (although I am!) but somehow the list keeps me focused on what I want to do in my life...how I want to live my life the way God intended me to be. Hindi po ako nagpapakabanal dito pero sa sarili ko, ito ang mga bagay na sa aking palagay ay magiging makabuluhan ang buhay ko. (In English: "I don't intend to be a candidate for sainthood but rather, this is what I think my life would be more meaningful.")

It's been a year since we last sorted our stuff (especially the kids' clothes, toys & some books) and packed them away for charity. I've been wanting to donate our stuff but I wanted to give them to an orphanage since I know the babies and kids will really need them.

When I came back from my trip, I promised myself that I will do it now - not next year, not when I have some spare time. Plus, I wanted my kids to learn at this age that it is OK to give and not always to receive and that they are blessed because they have parents and the orphans don't that is why we need to help them.

I learned somewhere that there is an orphanage in Tagaytay run by nuns. I just didn't know where. So I searched the internet and found an article by Ms. Deedee Sytangco about the Agustinian sisters that take care of abandoned babies. I emailed Ms. Sytangco and she gave me the contact person and number of the orphanage.

So I called up and got to talk with Sr. Carmen & Sr. Yoly and asked them if it is ok for them to accept donations like used clothes and toys. They said that I am very welcome to do so and they really appreciate it. So we scheduled our trip to Tagaytay this afternoon with 2 of my staff and my 2 kids. I briefed them earlier why are we going to the orphanage and asked if it is ok with them to give away their toys. They were excited!

We traveled through heavy rains & thunder! It was burning hot in Laguna when we left though. The sisters texted me to drive slowly and that they are praying for our safe trip. :) With that and my prayer before we left the house didn't leave a room for fear that something might happen to us.

We met Sr. Yoly and the 22 kids with ages ranging from 3 weeks old to 8 years old. They were already having early dinner then and some just arrived from a nearby public school. My eldest son shared his dinosaur book with the older girls while my little girl just kept quiet. I guess she was overwhelmed by the number of kids and she knows that they don't have parents. Maybe a lot of things are going on her mind so I just let her be.

Sr. Yoly shared bits of stories of how the kids end up in their care. One smaller-than-a-normal-2-yr.-old boy caught my attention. He was so small. Sr. told me that he is a son of a 12 year old girl! Whaaatt???? I cannot imagine how someone, not even a teenager, would bear a child. INCEST. I was shocked and I can't help but feel sorry for the girl and the baby boy.

Some of the kids were abandoned after birth in the hospitals, one was found by a streetsweeper along a sidewalk left alone by her parents, there were twins left by the parents who cannot feed them. A 7-month old boy is waiting for his mother to serve her sentence in correctional. These and some stories I only thought I'd only see in TV opened my eyes to reality.

We couldn't stay longer as it was getting foggy outside. My son wanted to play some more with the kids but I only told him we will come back again some other time. It was a short visit but it was meaningful in a lot of ways: I checked my list; my kids and staff were able to meet the kids and spent even just a little time with them; our stuff were put to good use rather than left in storage to rot; and just as we are blessed may we be a blessing to others as well. To whom much is given, much is expected.

Monday Mosaics

I'm starting the 2nd half of the year with Monday Mosaics - random photos that give a peek into my everyday life. I'll make this a weekly thing for me (hopefully!)


First 3 rows: some designs I finished last week for 6 clients. Last photo was taken this morning when we were packing the invites for delivery tomorrow.

Last row: I wanted to show my Dud how his orchids are "still alive" with beautiful flowers. 3rd pic are piles of cut-sized handmade papers ready for printing today. Last photo is my new "baby" - an HP Colored Laser printer - now we can print COLORED on translucent vellum!

Still got tons of work to do, my office is not that messy anymore but I still lack space for my stuff (I'm still working on it....). Zero scrapping activity....I'm soooo inspired with all the layouts of Iris, Pia, Ria, Cabbie and the rest of SE & PS scrapbookers but I just don't have the TIME right now. :(

I've been tagged!

Oooopps, Christine V. tagged me.

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

So here it is....7 Random Facts About Me

1. I cannot sleep unless the bed sheet is crisp, no wrinkles and tight-fit onto the bed.

2. I don't eat foods with ketchup and/or mayonnaise.

3. I practically live on Post-Its (and it should be the 3M brand of Post-Its) - they are my "expanded memory"!

4. When I was in 3rd year HS, I baked 1,000 pcs. of macaroons to supply the JS Prom in my mom's school. I bought my first Tretorn sneakers from the money I earned from that venture.

5. I am a rightie but I can only wash the dishes using my left hand to hold the sponge. Same with opening a Coke bottle.

6. I cannot swallow a pill or my vitamin supplements without any food (esp. chocolates).

7. I have a "101 things to-do-before-I-die list".

There you go.... I enjoyed reading other friends' random facts. I'm tagging Ria, Pia, Iris, Au, Donna, Joanne & Cabbie. I guess they have all been tagged already but it was fun getting to know a little bit of them. :)

I'm on a creative rut!

Been sluggish for the past days...with migraine attack & mounting (s)crap stuff in my office, my mind cannot work properly! With designs and proofs to submit to my clients, I need to find some "inspiration". But where???? I don't know. Tagaytay is always on my mind for the past days, I don't know why. I want to hike, run, walk, whatever! I miss my long, tiring walks in the streets of NY!


Anyway, its been a daily "ritual" for me to visit my favorite blogs especially Ali E. And this is what I learned from her: to make a mosaic. :)



Now, this makes me want to CREATE again.... Hopefully on my next blog entry, it will be an exciting one.

"Live life creatively."

Good to be back home...

I arrived safely on June 3, 530am via PAL. It was a long and tiring 15-hour journey but all worth it. Had interesting conversations with 2 of my "seatmates" during the flight. I believe all the people we meet everyday, even for just a few minutes or hours, are meant to leave a mark on usin one way or another...

Anyway, after 3 hours, I'm off to the 2nd day of Philippine Wedding Summit as an exhibitor. Rampa ano! Thanks to my ever-supportive husband & staff who took my place during the first day. The fair went well but really, I am dying to come home and take a rest! Around 5pm, I began to feel sleepy because of the change in my timezone but with my husband to keep me from sleeping, I finished the fair wide awake. haha!

I "declared" this week will be a "No Work" week! I want to spend some time with my kids especially that my daughter just turned 5 last June 5. But with all the unpacking and putting everything in its place, I think it became an unofficial work week instead!

But I'd like to take the last 3 days to slow down a bit...need some R&R to recharge and get back to the groove for we have lots of projects in the pipeline...need to do some overhauling in our systems and product development. So bear with me...will be back by next week.

I love this shot of a sample I made while in the US. I love how the stone served as a backdrop of my invitation.

It's Final.

We will be at the Philippine Wedding Summit on June 2-3, 2007 at the NBC Tent, The Fort. 10am-8pm

I will arrive from SFO on June 3 at 5 in the morning. I will be at the fair by Sunday. But on the first day, June 2, my staff and ever supportive husband will be there.

On-site booking will be accepted on both days but I suggest you book on the 2nd day so I can personally attend to your invite specs. We can always discuss the details even after the fair.

We are giving 20% discount for ON-SITE booking for 100pcs and above orders plus freebies. 10% for 50-99pcs. invitations and/or missalettes. We only require Php2,000 for the booking fee deductible on the balance.

We hope to see you there!

Event Update - Some changes....

There has been a change in our upcoming events. I decided to withdraw from the Philippine Wedding Summit due to our tight production schedule and my flight. We have to prioritize our production schedule and the quality of our products so we will be at the Wedding Expo Philippines September 2007 instead.

But we will be at the

SCRAPFEST on May 19, 2007 (10am - 5pm)

at the Makati Garden (along Pasig River - Guadalupe going to C5) by Scrappin' Moms

This is one event you cannot miss!

We will be selling our own line of Altering Items & Handmade Organizers such as kraft letters, accordion albums with matching boxes, photo cubes, flip-flops boxes, our Pampered Crafters (rotating tool caddy), 12x12 vertical paper holders, and handmade journals. Please see below:

Contact Number Update

To all those who have been calling our Manila line for the past lines surely wondered why we don't answer the call. Our phone line just kept on ringing on the callers end BUT ITS ACTUALLY DEAD on our side! Thanks to PT&T - after the super typhoon Milenyo (September 2006), they DID NOT bother to fix our line after numerous calls to them!

We apologize to all our clients & inquries for this problem. We finally have our new MANILA LINE so our Manila clients can call us locally.

Manila Line: (+632) 429-4832

Just blog-hopping on a Friday night....

I just had a nice chat over dinner with my cousin. Its the first time we were together since the day we were born! She grew up in the US and I in the Philippines. It was nice. It IS memorable for me. After all these years, I can say, we ARE cousins. :)

Oh well, when I came home to my sis' house (after I almost knocked on the wrong house! silly me, I still cannot remember my sister's house!), I just wanted to scrap or make some cards for the silent auction next week (a volunteer work for me at my nephew's school fair). But when I checked my blog, I got some hello's from a few friends. So I blog-hopped and enjoyed reading theirs...it is good...there's always something that you learn from each other....

I got this from Raissa's blog. Thought maybe I'd try it for myself and look what I've got:

You Should Be a Painter

You have the vision, patience, and skill to bring your unique visions to canvas.And you're even tempered enough not to cut your ear off in the process!

What Sort of Artist Should You Be?

At least now I know that I am not just "maARTe" to be an artist...maybe its really in my blood. :)

And here's another one that I like...its ME talaga, hehe!

Your Birthdate: March 21

You're a restless rebel with an unpredictable nature.Bright but unbridled, you tend to seek out wild experiences over new ideas.People are frustrated by your great potential, but you love your unconventional life.You're a heartbreaker. People get attached to you, and then you're gone. Your strength: Your thirst for adventure Your weakness: Not taking time for slow pleasures Your power color: Hot pink Your power symbol: Figure eight Your power month: March

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/">What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!!!

"Live life creatively."

I'm off to National Stationery Show in New York

I feel like I'm working at a call center in the Philippines. Why? With a 15-hour difference in the Philippines and here in Northern California, I have to be awake in the evening to "work" with my staff - send drafts and designs, wait for approval of Philippine-based clients, confirm production. I usually sleep at 12am here (3pm in the Phils.) and should be awake by 630am to catch my husband by 930 Phil. time. When he sleeps at 12am (9am US time), I'm up and about to have breakfast and then resume my work like designing and emailing the sketches to my staff so the morning after, they have it already! So its like just 6.5 hrs of sleep!

But its pretty well that way, saving me from insanity of missing my family, home and my country terribly! Yes, I miss the Philippines - even if I'm just almost 2 weeks here, I already miss the traffic, pollution, hot weather. I miss the turon, popo, ensaymada merienda that we have everyday with my staff. I miss how I can go to SM easily or just buy watermelon on the roadside. Walang ganyan sa States!"

I'm staying a bit longer coz I am off to the National Stationery Show in New York on May 20-23, 2007. No, I am not an exhibitor (which I hope in the future), just an attendee, but I am so excited to be here! Its all about papers & stationeries - a must-attend-to fair for an invitation-maker like me. I hope to bring home lots of new finds and tons of inspiration from there. Its an eye-candy! I just hope by that time, the weather will be be friendly to this tropical Pinay. :)

For the meantime, work is still the name of my game....my therapy. :) I do go around and see places but mostly during weekends. On weekdays, its telecommuting. :) After this blog update, I'm off to work on my website and the upcoming Philippine Wedding Summit in June 2-3 at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio Global City.

Will give you more updates soon.

"Live life creatively."

"Walang ganyan sa States!"

I finally had the time to update my blog! Been very busy even after the Wedding Expo in Pasadena, CA. But let me give you some comparison about the wedding fair in the US and in the Philippines.

I truly admire Pinoys' ingenuity when it comes to design and innovation. In every Wedding Expo I've joined, the venue becomes an elaborate display of Filipino suppliers' creativity! Ang galing! It's not that I'm bragging...I am just at awe at how really creative Pinoys are! Each and everyone of us...its in our blood...we just have to nurture it and show it to the world. :)

I don't know about American Wedding Fairs here since I haven't attended one, but I will only make a comparison between the fair I joined here in Pasadena and the Wedding Expo Phils. in the Philippines.

One disadvantage of Filipino suppliers from the Philippines is that we cannot bring a lot of stuff to decorate our booth. Like myself, I have to limit my stuff to just 1 balikbayan box since I still have to make room for my clothes on my luggage. I have to hand-carry my laptop plus a client's invitation order! Though, it may look as a disadvantage, but I consider it also as a CHALLENGE for us to make do of what we have. Anyway, in my case, I managed to bring most of my designs and just displayed them on 3 albums and a tarpaulin to hold some of my recent designs. That's it!

It was not as festive as in the Philippines....though I guess, its the first time to have a Philippine Wedding Expo here in the States, we cannot expect the same huge crowd in the Philippines...that is why I said it was not as festive as I expected.

For invitations, people here are used to just choose from the designs that we have. When they knew that we custom-design, at first, they thought that we are expensive! Its because IT REALLY IS expensive in the US to have a custom-designed invite plus it is HANDCRAFTED! So I had to tell them that this is how we work and that we are very affordable especially that their $$ have better mileage than our pesosesoses.

Other Pinoys think that we might have different prices if they order in the Philippines than here. They think that I might charge more in $$. Of course not! Its not the way I work and think about money. Same price, wherever.

Anyway, the 1st Philippine -Los Angeles Wedding Expo was a good exposure for Pinoy products, not just mine but for others as well. I hope this will not be the last but just a beginning for the Filipino wedding suppliers to shine globally. :)

Been busy....

I have lots of things to blog about but have little time to do so. Sorry.... Will post new pics of my designs soon.

Been busy preparing for our first Wedding Expo in the U.S. by Lavish! Events - "From this day forward..." The Lost Angeles-Philippine Wedding Expo in Pasadena Convention Center, California on April 14-15, 2007. Will regularly update this blog to keep you all posted. Meanwhile, you can still email me for your inquiries at imaginovation@yahoo.com. If you want to see our samples, our Manila Showroom is at:

The Meeting Place/Lily Flower Boutique
EDSA Shangri-LA Hotel, West Entrance
1 Garden Way, Mandaluyong City
Mondays-Saturdays 9am-6pm
+632-6345564 / +632-6345563

Will keep you posted!

"Live life creatively."

What Kind of Intelligence Do I Have?

While taking a break from my work, I chanced upon Ria's blog. Its partly correct for me but I tell you, I will never be a good dancer nor an actor. A firefighter, maybe in my next life! :)

People say I am creative...but for me, I believe we were all born CREATIVE. Its just that when we grow older, we tend to look at things logically - like there should be an explanation for everything.

In high school, I was "influenced" to take up Computer Science since that was the "trend", so I can go abroad and earn $$. In high school, I excel in Math and so I believed Comp. Sci is for me.

I never thought I'll have Math subjects in all the 12 terms (4 years) or so in my course until I saw my course flowchart! But I did still pursue the course until the day I put up my own business while doing my thesis that I realized I should have taken Business Management course or Fine Arts since I was already graphic designing then! I wanted to shift courses but my parents will kill me. I only have 12 units left in Comp. Sci.

But I guess, the "artist" in me triumphed over the "logical" part of me because I am here - designing invitations, product development and scrapbooking! I just happen to realize that I am indeed creative after spending 12+ terms in Computer Science!

Bottomline is, do what you love to do. Life is not a straight line but a series of straights & curves, ups & downs, swirls & doodles that if you put it in a painting, it is one interesting portrait that is uniquely yours.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

You are naturally athletic and coordinated, good at making your mind and body work together. Sports are fun and easy for you, especially those requiring good hand - eye coordination. There's also a good chance you're a great dancer, or good at expressing yourself through body language. You learn best by doing, and you feel like you've always got to be moving (even if it's just your hands). You would make a good athlete, physical education teaches, dancer, actor, firefighter, or artisan.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

"Live life creatively."

Finding My Place Under the (Philippine) Sun

A friend of mine texted me last Friday morning (March 16) telling me that he saw me on the Inquirer. Ha?! I was surprised! "May napatay ba ako?!", I asked. "Hinde. Andun ka sa 'the person above-mentioned is no longer connected with this company!", he joked. :)

So, I drove and looked for the nearest newsstand to buy myself a copy of the Inquirer. And yes, there I was! It IS ME. I didn't expect that the article would land on the Inquirer. The correspondent, Ms. Donna Virola, interviewed me on the last day at the last hour of the Tagaytay Bridal Fair last Feb.26. It was NOT planned. She just happened to pass by Brahma Kumaris's booth and there she noticed my booth. She asked my staff where I was and when I came back, next thing I know is that we are having a conversation under the stairs!

It was a hush-hush interview plus she ran out of battery on her digicam after snapping 2 pictures of mine! She just told me that the article will appear on a CALABARZON daily and might be on the Inquirer. That is, if PDI will choose it.

Among the 3 articles that featured me (ME Magazine, Feb. 2005; Entrepreneur Phils., Sept. 2006), this is the one that captured the WHOLE OF ME. From my sago't gulaman days to macaroons, to my depression, it is ME. And I am not ashamed to let you know that that is how I started. :)

I received emails, calls and SMS from different people that day telling me how they were inspired by the article about my simple beginnings. I am happy to know that somehow my story inspired some people and has given them hope that THEY,TOO, WILL FIND THEIR PLACE UNDER THE SUN.

You can view the article online at http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view_article.php?article_id=55151

Airees
"Live life creatively!"

Vcoy's 6th Birthday

We were not able to celebrate Vcoy's 6th birthday last March 10 because of the Wedding Expo. However, we had dinner at Mall of Asia together with the "hunnies" & "tita" at a Chinese restaurant. When we asked him what gift does he want for his birthday, he just asked us to play with him at Timezone. What else to play but Jurassic Park!

He absolutely loves anything about dinosaurs. He somehow graduated from "Thomas and Friends" but I know Thomas will always be his first love. :) We also gifted him a dinosaur skeleton toy which he also loves. His birthday was not as grand but we know that he enjoyed his birthday.

But... he also asked us if he can celebrate his birthday with his classmates. And so right after the Wedding Expo, Tuesday, we had a small party together with his classmates and teacher in school. It was simple...just packed snacks with spaghetti cooked by yours truly, chocolate cupcakes, baked lovingly by Ate Let, hotdogs & marshmallow, juice and chocolate lollipops which were made by Ate Cathy & Kuya Toto. :) Vcoy personally asked for a Red Ribbon Chocolate Mousse for his birthday cake. I just bought a safari cake decor (no dinosaurs available) and we just put 2 small dinos from his toys! Daddy sponsored the cake. We all had fun making his birthday special in our own little way.

Last week, I "played" with Photoshop Elements and tried to make his birthday invites. I enjoyed using it... so easy... much easier than Photoshop CS though it has lesser features but OK if you will just edit pictures or make a digital scrapbook layout. Here is my try in making a digital invite using Elements:

After making the layout, transferred it to my flash drive and drove myself to the nearest Fuji - wahlah! Done! Made my life easier. :)

Wedding Expo Philippines 10th Edition

We are on the last preps for the biggest, most comprehensive & longest-running wedding fair in the country "Wedding Expo Philippines 10th Edition". May we invite you to come and visit our booth and see our newest collection and our bestsellers.

And in celebration with the event's 10th Edition, we wanted to make this wedding fair truly SPECIAL: we are giving not just 10% but 20% DISCOUNT (for orders of 100pcs & above) for ON-SITE BOOKING PLUS a very useful FREEBIE and 25 pcs. PERSONALIZED & EMBOSSED THANK YOU CARDS with ENVELOPE.

Even if you order less than 100pcs. (at least 50 though), you will still get 10% DISCOUNT and our freebie.

In case you cannot book on-site, you still have until December to order from us and you still get 5% DISCOUNT. Walang talo! :)

And why should you consider us to make your invites?

- Unique = No 2 handmade paper sheets are the same thus each invitation possesses uniqueness from the paper up to the embedded materials.

- Handmade = each invitation is lovingly done by passionate artists with no formal training (but full of passion!) to bring out the "person" in every creation. It is time to give premium to handmade creations. Why? Because these are done by people, not machines!

- Environment-friendly = our papers are TREE-FREE, meaning, no trees were cut to make paper. They are made from waste cogon grasses, salago & abaca which is abundant in our place of production. Production of paper is monitored by the DENR to see to it that the process does not sacrifice the environment. We are committed to sustainable development and to taking care of our environment.

- Social Responsibility = When you order from us, it is not only us that we benefit from your payment but also the people who are working to make the handmade papers and their families. You provide them a livelihood to alleviate them from poverty. And when you patronize our Philippine-made products, you fuel the growth of MSME's (micro, small & medium enterprises) thus, improve the Philippine economy.

We may not produce the smoothest or embossed lettering nor the perfect invitation, but we can assure you that each one is lovingly done by hand that is really made JUST FOR YOU with the hope that you will also learn to appreciate Pinoy products and be proud of it!

See you at the Expo!

Airees :)

"Live life creatively!"

Another Try at Digital Scrapbooking

I love scrapbooking! Its not just the yummy papers and embellishments but the STORY behind the pictures. I feel that I have the responsibility to preserve our family's precious memories so that my kids and future generations will know who we are and how we lived our lives in our time.

With "traditional" scrapbooking, I use acid free papers & a thousand and 1 embellishments! You can ask my fellow scrapbookers and for sure each has her own story to tell - from hoarding scrapbooking supplies to having her own scrap room, to scrap challenges and EBs.

But now, I am trying my hands on digital scrapbooking. All elements such as papers, ribbons, and almost all of the embellishments we use on traditional scrapbooking also have their "digital" counterpart. They are equally YUMMY! ;) - the only thing is that digital is FLAT - you cannot feel the ribbons nor the textures of the paper. But feeling flat doesn't mean seeing flat. A lot of digital designers are now making real-life elements that you can hardly tell it is digital.

I made my first digital layout last year. After that, nah... I just lost the momentum. I still wanted to work with my hands getting all the glue and paints all over... to have all the paper scraps under my table but in the end, a physical layout for my family to enjoy looking at.

But when I tried using Photoshop Elements, hmmm... I had second thoughts. With its easy interface, even a novice scrapbooker can start making digital layouts in a jiffy. So without further adeu, here are 2 of my layouts (they are just kits though I added a few touches):



















Credits to ShabbyPrincess.com Olivia digital kit (1st pic) and twopeasinabucket.com for the 2nd pic). Photos taken by me & V (they are our guinea pigs! thanks c & m!)
Hopefully next time I'll do better than these 2. :)

One satisfied client, one happy me!

I got an email this morning from my client in Australia. I was surprised to know that she already got her invitations which I sent last Tuesday. Thanks to FedEx's efficient service, the package came right on time (1 day earlier pa!) and it is in good condition. :)

What made me happy is the email she sent me:

"Hi Airees,

I received the invitations and mass booklets yesterday. I have to say, that you did a marvelous job with them.. Calvin and I both love the invitations and cant wait to start giving them out tomorrow :)

Also, the colour ended up being EXACTLY what I had in mind and it matches my theme perfectly so thank you so much for that.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to tie the ribbon! Calvin and I were practising last night but we just couldn't get it to look like the photo you had sent..We might need to practice a little bit more ;-)

Thanks again and it was great doing business with you :) - Natasha Peters"

More than the money that a client pays for my invitations, it is the TRUST that I really am thankful. As for Natasha, the trust she gave was enormous - she fully paid before the production started and to think we haven't met personally and she is NOT a Filipino. Truly, I am at awe with people who still give their trust even online. And for that, I am thankful and happy.

....Life is good to me today..... :)

Brown - the new black??

Mid-year of 2006, I began my "love affair" with the color brown. You can practically pair it with any color like pink, hot pink, aqua, sky blue, orange, gold, apple green, ecru, to name a few. At first, some people it is odd and not fit for a wedding motif but guess what? Brown (or Espresso) is now one of the color trends for 2007.

I just finished this tri-fold invite in brown and green. Actually, the color motif is espresso, gold and green. We had the paper custom-designed by adding some gold threads. I like the way it turned out and I am happy that the bride & her family is satisfied.

Our signature beaded butterfly in gold beads and wire added a the final touch for this invite.

Somewhere beyond the sea....

Just a quick post.

While I was cleaning my office (so I can finally start working on new designs! I need to do this... I can't seem to concentrate if my office looks like there was tsunami!), I pulled out my laptop and played this song. It lightens my load somehow and puts a smile on my face....I don't know why....it could be the beat or the lyrics...whatever it is...it is all GOOD. :)

Beyond the Sea

Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waiting for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailing

Somewhere beyond the sea

She's there watching for me

If I could fly like birds on high

Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing

It's far beyond the stars

It's near beyond the moon

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just like before

Happy we will be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we will be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

No more sailing

So long, sailing, sailing, no more sailing

Good-bye, farewell my friend, no more sailing

So long sailing, no more sailing

No more, farewell..

No more sailing

I hope you are all well. Its so depressing knowing people important to you or to your friends are sick. If you can, please whisper a prayer for them, so they may be all well in God's grace.

Thanks.

Plum + Gold = Elegance

2 weeks ago, a classmate of mine in high school contacted me to make her invitations. When she came up with her motif, I knew it will make an elegant invitation.
She wanted it simple but elegant. Sometimes, people see handmade paper as very casual or informal and they don't think it will make an elegant invitation. But I want them to look at our paper in a different perspective this time....I love how the dark shade of plum blended with gold - it made the gold beaded butterfly stand out all the more!

For the accents on the left side of the invite, lately, I'm into pearls and laces because I see them as symbols of elegance, of royalty. And since I'm a 3D person (I can't stop myself from adding something 3D on my invites! It feels "bland" and flat if it has no 3D embellishment.)

My old number is back!

After 5 long days of calling Globe's customer service and believing that they will restore my line immediately, I passed by The Hub yesterday. They just found out that SM City Sta. Rosa Globe Business Center entered a WRONG (as in a totally different number!) serial number from my SIM! I swear, if I have a heart problem, I'd die on the spot! Their customer service couldn't explain what's wrong with my SIM and always promises that my line would be back. If I had not gone to the Hub, I'd be waiting in vain and lots of lost clients!

Imagine what carelessness (or stupidity for that matter!) can do.

I thank Mr. Lloyd Santos of The Hub Glorietta for bearing with me. Even before I flare up, I told him not to take it personally. I am just pissed off with the person/people who entered the wrong serial number BUT I told him it is unacceptable for me to wait another 2 DAYS for the sim to get activated. NO WAY!

So, he went back and called up their Engineering Department and within 30 minutes I have a signal! I guess sometimes it pays to be the "other side" of Airees at times like this. :)

So, this is my OTHER number (though I am still keeping the 521... for the meantime, just in case...) +63917.8132821

I hope this will be the last of the not-so-good 3's that happened to me last week.....

I wish you all well.

TEMPORARY MOBILE #

My mobile phone was stolen at the Asian Hospital where I was confined last Monday-Wednesday. I was undergoing an EEG test at the lower ground when the incident happened. Someone entered my room and stole my phone. Long story....

Anyway, you may contact me thru this number until Globe restores my old number into my new SIM which is taking them sooooooooooooooooooo long! Isa pa yang Globe na yan! 4 days na wala pa din signal SIM ko!

Here's my other number: 0917-5214688

I'm off to Tagaytay for our last day of Kasalang Filipino 2007.

Kasalang Filipino 2007

I am inviting all of you to come and visit our booth at the Kasalang Filipino 2007 at Tagaytay Country Hotel, Olivarez Plaza, Rotonda, Tagaytay City on February 23-25, 2007 - 11am-8pm.

We will showcase our new designs for 2007 and some of our bestsellers. :) Special discount and freebies will be given for on-site booking.

Lastly, may I invite you also to the Wedding Expo Philippines 10th Edition on March 10-11, 2007 at the PICC Forum, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City.

Dressed Up Monograms

I was invited by a good friend, Iris of SparkUp Planners, to hold a workshop at the Glorietta Homezone Area last February 17. I worked with one of our products, the naked monograms and dressed them up with patterned papers, acrylic paint. But this time, Iris suggested that I include some pictures to extend the use of the monogram further - as a photo decor.

I used the frame die cuts-to-go by K & Co. and some too-small-shots that I have of my daughter. These shots were put to good use since they just fit right to the frame.

This project is so easy to do. You might want to try them. These are perfect unique gifts for your loved ones. Just get a naked monogram (of course, from us!), some acrylic paint (for the sides of the letter so you wont have to cover it with patterned paper), patterned paper, and some embellishments.

Trace the naked letter at the back of the patterned paper. Remember to mark each side of the letter with 1 or 2 and its corresponding number on the patterned paper so you will have the exact pattern for each side. Cut and set aside.

Paint the sides of the naked letter first. Don't worry about getting the pain over the front and back side of the letter since you will cover these with patterned paper.

When dried, adhere the traced pattern to the corresponding sides. You may want to use sand paper on the sides to make the edges smooth.

Embellish!

Thankful!

I am finally posting the journaling I made on my layout for the MLA Challenge. I deferred posting it coz I still have to know the results of my tests. And now that I can say I am fine - there's nothing serious about my health (just have to learn to manage stress so it doesn't add more pressure to my cervical spine), I want to share with you the "things" I am grateful for.


But first, I want to thank all of you (you know who you are) who prayed for me during the time that I was in the hospital. Now I know I have a long way to go to fulfill God's plan for me and to take some time to slow down and relax and "literally smell the flowers" to appreciate more of this life. :)

Journaling:

February 18, 2007 - I am doing this layout a day before I undergo several tests at the Asian Hospital tomorrow afternoon. I will be staying there for 2 days to finish all the tests and hopefully be home by Wednesday. I don’t know what will happen next nor what the results would be.

I was advised by my neurologist to undergo MRI to examine my brain! I’ve been suffering from what I believe a migraine for about 5 years now but 2 years after I fell from the stairs, I had a “regular” migraine attacks and stronger intensity running down to my right shoulder. I finally had the guts to have myself examined by a neurologist after I realized that I have my kids to take care of and I needed to be alive for them! :)

As of now, I don’t feel anything except the nagging pain on my neck. I only think that the tests will just be a routine check-up and I will be fine. Perhaps, I am not that afraid yet, for I know God has the ultimate plan for my life and I know that He knows my kids need me for now...

But, My Little Attic’s challenge to make a layout for myself and what are the “things” I am grateful for INSPIRED me to make one. Funny, one thing that crossed my mind to make this layout is that if ever I’ll undergo a surgery or what, and I might have to lose my memory, at least I have a record of what I am grateful for and what the heck I am doing in this life! :) Yeah, I know, I am morbid. But its not impossible, right?

So, to my family, whatever happens to me and my memory, remind me of these 3 “things” that I am forever grateful to have:

ALBUMS - Its not the album per se that I am grateful but what they contain: my family, friends and the people I worked with, the relationships I have with them, for the lessons in life that each one taught me and for that, I have become the person I am right now.

INVITATIONS, BOOKS & MAGAZINES, TOOLS - They symbolize the talents that I have that God gave me. And because of this, it has become my passion and the passion led me to create works of art that I get to share with the people around me and has somehow brought joy and inspiration to them. I am grateful for the life I live right now because I have developed my self-esteem, found my own place under the sun, and my self-worth.

FAITH - Without this, I am nothing. Over the years, my relationship with my Creator has helped me go through what life has given me. I may not express my being a Catholic as much as other people would do, but the personal relationship with my Creator has been my source of strength - the reason for my being - and to Whom my life should be directed upon. It is a process and I take it one day at a time.....

Entry to MLA's Challenge

Just a quick post before I take some time off.

A layout about what I am grateful for. My journaling is hidden on the trifold pocket (too long!) but it is written from the *heart*.

I wish you all well!

EDITED: Layout and journaling above.

Tamang senti lang po....

Just a quick post here.

I love songs.... though sometimes the songs don't love my voice, I love how they touch you in your deepest emotions that sometimes you just don't know what words to express.

from the song Everything I Own by Bread:

"Is there someone you know, you're loving them so, but taking them all for granted? You may loose them one day, someone takes them away, and they don't hear the words you long to say?"

from one of my all-time fave song What a Wonderful World:

"I see babies cry, I watch them grow, they'll learn much more that I've ever known. And I think to myself: What a wonderful world!"

"Live life creatively."

Hapi Nyu Yi!!!!

It's Chinese New Year here in the Philippines. Though we are not Chinese (just Chinese-looking) we also take part in some of their traditions like wearing red for luck, fruits on our table, eating Tikoy and some fireworks, if ever we get to buy. :)

I've been reading (and following some) Feng Shui tips for quite some time and I guess it helps. I've read somewhere that Feng Shui is not a religious thing - it is more of scientific - harnessing the energy around us. But of course, even if one has a house full of Feng Shui paraphernalia making it to look like a store in Binondo, one cannot expect luck if he does not do good things especially to other people. Its just like Karma - there is no good or bad Karma - just Karma - "do unto others what you want others do unto you"; "the more you give, the more blessings to receive". That's simple, right? :)

So, to anyone reading this blog - I wish you well - good health and wealth, healthy relationships and most of all, may we all become better persons this year. Hapi Nyu Yi! :)

Fresh Upload, New Project

Hi everyone! I would like to invite you to drop by MyScrapworks.com - we've got lots of new articles and to-do projects for you.

Try it! :)

"Live life creatively."

Done!

I've been busy for the past days working on new designs for clients, meetings and ordering supplies online, thru SMS and taking a trip to DV (Divisoria)!!! Thank goodness for technology - ordering some supplies thru SMS or online and just have them delivered thru Air21 is more cost-effective and saves me time and energy.

Anyway, I am just glad to finally finish working on 2 designs for 2 clients. Though I still have more to do [2 of my friends will kill me if they read this because I haven't showed them their invites! ;) ], I felt relieved that I am done with these 2.

This is just a sneak peek of the invite for this "Victorian" bride. She has an eye for design and she loves a "lavish" design. She knows that the invitation is what gives her guests the first impression of her upcoming wedding and she wants to make sure that the guests will have an eye candy once they receive her invitation!

This 2nd invitation is quick. Even though inner invitation design (not shown here) is a bestseller, this is the first time I am working on these combinations and papers for this design. Still, I can say that the invitation will be uniquely-made for this couple.

Time to work on my next....

"Live life creatively."