Pleasant Surprise

that is how i felt when i checked what was in our mailbox yesterday - - - a card from ms. marian king.

i just couldn't describe the card she handmade in one word; rather, 2 words best suits it: equisitely elegant.
thank you ms. marian & happy holidays to you & your family, too.

Off to the Post Office

...to my 'baby' for this year's christmas card exchange among a group of scrapaholics!

i hope to send the message across

What To Do On a Holiday?

create.

i decided to do something productive on a friday, a holiday.

i remember my sister asked me to make christmas cards to be sold at her store. what, me? mass produce? not quite. i managed to make 22 cards using purely stash. the only things i bought were the envelopes & the protective plastics. i will do some more depending on the demand.

my sister wanted the simple ones, to my advantage :->

for sale here....

and here.
materials used: cs: white, green & red bazzill;
pps: pc slab, chatterbox, mem block 3 & 4, punch studio holiday kit;
ink: tsukineko brilliance black, cb chestnut roan, red & green inkadinkado;
stamps: inkadinkado;
misc: deco art twinkle glitter, ribbons, blings, eyelets;

tools: mm instant setter, coluzzle oval template

so basic, so easy!

7 Random Facts

...and an ABC about me?

i'm playing along with this tag from arnie.

instructions: each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. people who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. at the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 random facts about me:

1. i'm an OC.

2. i can stand in a place even w/o tv or internet connection. but please, leave me something to read. exception: anything academic.

3. i love grocery-shopping. it's so therapeutic for me.

4. i'm an ambidextrous.

5. i married at 30 y.o. , way, way early my plan to get hitched at 35! it's true, marriage comes like a thief in the night.

6. i earned 2 extremely opposite degrees.

7. i'm more comfortable wearing heels than flats.


A - Age: 36

B - Band Listening To Right Now: none

C - Career: loyal gov't. employee (w/ emphasis on the l)

D - Drink or Smoke: never smoked. used to drink on occasions. now, if cajoled, it has to be bailey's, tequila rose or a semi-sweet red wine

E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: my bestfriend liza p.

G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: gummy bears

H - Have a Boyfriend: husband na

I - In love: hubbyyyyyy!

J - Junk Food You Like: fita w/ spicy tuna sandwich flavor

K - Kids: none

L - Longest Ride Ever: 24 hour drive from manila to samar. i didn't blink an eye or else hubby will drive crazy.

N - Names For Your Future Kids: dannita marialuz & daenna meekaella (oh i wish!)

O - One Wish You Have Now: approval of our immigrant petition (please dear Lord!)

P - Phobias: reptiles

Q - Favorite Quote: "no pain, no gain."

R - Reasons To Smile: family

S - Sleeping Hours: 11pm-6:30am (weekdays), 10pm-5:30am (weekends)

T - Time You Woke Up: 5:30am (it's a weekend today - - - jog, aero & taebo time)

U - Unknown Fact About You: i dont' look it, but i'm so, so easy to please (read: mababaw ang kaligayahan)

V - Vegetable You Hate: none 'coz i love veggies

W - Worst Habit: i buy on first impulse (and ends up being sorry)

X-rays You’ve Had: chest

Y - Yummy Foods: pasta & pizza; veggies

Z - Zodiac Sign: taurus


postcript: allow me to break the instruction to tag 7 others. it seems that everyone has already been tagged. so, whoever gets to read this & haven't been tagged yet, consider yourself tagged.

My First 6x6

part of the make and take in the may 2007 scrapfest was to create 6x6 LOs about oneself to comprise a SHE album.

i never got to try my hand on this until lately, albeit not of me, but of a person so dear to me - - - my super generous aunt.

my initial plan to make 6 LOs which i thought of putting together with a single ring binder, ballooned to 18 LOs in all which i put in a cutie 6x6 pioneer album. i just couldn't get my hands off my stash. yes, i just used a few left-over papers. indeed, in this craft, nothing is scrap.

here are a few:

materials used: cs - bazzill; pp - mem. block 2, mambi, urban lily, american crafts, chatterbox; eyelets - bazzill; brads - colorbok; ink - colorbox; stamps - inkadinkado; rub-ons - lasting impressions scrappy rubs; pen - sakura, ac white ultimate pen; misc - rikrak, vellum, cricut flower

[pardon the glare in the pix; my sister took the photos w/o removing the LOs from the protective sheets :> ]

It's a Bear-y Merry Christmas

....in our 2-man home.

cutie yuletide teddys dominate our tree this time.

a 2006 starbucks bearista sits on top billing.

he's just so cute, isn't he?

For Uncle

hubby and i anticipated the long weekend from the last week of october on to november, so that prior to that, we busied ourselves with our respective backlogs. who would not be, with a b-r-e-a-k waiting for us?

or so we thought.

the night before we flew to home-sweet-home came a shocking news: uncle gerry didn't survive a massive heart attack.

i remember as a toddler, i used to cry on the short but bumpy tacloban-manila plane ride. but on our flight home on oct. 26, i cried because i dreaded to see our once lively uncle, now gone.

my father was to speak in the necrological services in behalf of his 2 sisters. but days before, he didn't assure me that he'd be able to do the task. so i prepared my own eulogy to pitch in for him.

i was glad my father stood up to the podium when his name was called. for sure, that would have what uncle gerry wanted. in ending his eulogy, he said: "this is a joyful day because my brother is already in heaven". oh how brave of him to have said that of his younger brother.

while tatay was speaking, uncle's close-up photo was flashed

in the wide screen. this just breaks my heart.

hereunder is my prepared message. i bet i wouldn't have been able to finish reading it.

---------

good morning.

i am darlene, joseph's daughter, uncle gerry's favorite niece. that's what uncle gerry would say when i am at a hearing distance. i am sure, he also say the same thing to my siblings and cousins whenever uncle gerry is sure that they hear him.

that's our uncle gerry - - - very expressive and never fails to make us laugh.

i learned from my father that even as a young boy, uncle gerry was boisterous; he never runs out of story to tell. and even at times when he'd caught our grandfather's ire for his mischievous ways, he is sure to reason with all the jokes he has mastered. so all of you who know him can now imagine how he was in his youth.

that mischievous boy grew up to be a soft-hearted man and subservient brother. as they say, comedians are always the first ones to cry. that is true of uncle gerry. in a rare gathering among uncle gerry, my father, aunties lina & elen, and our family's tenants in the family farm early this year, uncle gerry in his message, couldn't help but cry when he thanked our family's loyal tenants all these years. that's the other side of uncle gerry that some of you may not have known. uncle knew when and to whom gratitude is due.

uncle is full of surprises. you see, we were scheduled to meet in manila next week where he asked me to have him scheduled for some facial cleaning in the hospital where i work. i never knew that he needed more than that. for the past days, i looked for the answers to the many whys on my mind. of late, i realized, he must have done his share that's why he had to leave us this soon.

i am thankful to have known him. i am grateful for the affection he has shown me and my siblings. sure i will miss his calls to me and my husband, most of the time, just to ask how we are. even while we are geographically far apart, i could feel uncle's concern. there was one time he called, pleading my husband & i to go home quick because he saw on tv that there's a fire in makati. you could just imagine how wide makati is, yet he insisted that we go home. that's uncle. you just have to follow him sometimes.

i will be forever thankful for his thoughtfulness. i have always known october to be a busy month for him, so that when i told him i was getting married in october, i said i'll never take a no for an answer. sure enough, he was at my wedding. i think he missed manning his staff at the civil service exam that month.

for all these uncle, thank you is not enough. i may not have been able to repay you in the best possible way, but rest assured that your memories will not be forgotten. if there's one important lesson from you i wish my siblings and my cousins will learn is this: it's true, tatay and uncle gerry never fought. they were loving siblings in the truest sense that i hope we will all emulate. i think the surest i will miss is hearing you call tatay 'gurang'. and because i hate goodbyes, i'd rather say: uncle gerry, until we meet again. we love you.

My Scrappinmoms Idol Ride - In Brief

i'm alive. i missed blogging, and yes, i haven't scrapped.

after the scrapfest over a month ago, time flew so fast 'coz of the many things i had to do. not even close to 1/8 of what i need to accomplish, i'm giving myself a break.

so i thought of posting the layouts i did for the scrapinmoms idol contest. honestly, i can't, even until now, believe i made it through the 8 rounds, all in all.

elimination round: scraplift your idol - this is the very first time i lifted a layout. oh my, it's so very liberating. i think i'll be doing a lot of scraplifting soon.

tiffany tillman's shonuff was my first choice.

this is my first time to use rouge de garance papers.

i hope i did justice to tiffany's layout.

round 1: stuck on cardstock - whwaaaaaat? cardstock only?

i figured this picture would do well against a plain background.

this is my first time to create flowers out of my cricut.

round 2: what's your color? sounds easy, right? but i actually had a hard time going monochromatic.

orange is not my favorite color.

but i just can't get off my eyes on this picture of my cutie pie niece, bea.
this is my first time to use a template, and yes, experiment on doodling.

round 3: alter it! - i thought we'd just be doing layouts. i was wrong. the scrappinmoms wanted to us to do more than that. at one point i thought i'd back out because....

this is my first time to alter an item.

and i parted with my favorite, soiled towel *sigh*.

good thing, i was relieved to have created a hanging magazine holder.

round 4: what's in a photo - when i read the mechanics that we have to use a photo of an inanimate object that is of significance to us, my only choice was my books. no less.

aside from this is my first time to use a picture of a non-living thing,

i also used fabric for the first time, as mandated by the moms.

round 5: no photos allowed - what the _ _ _ k? ephemera. we had to use ephemera. it seems that the moms were pushing us to the limits. but who am i to complain?

aside from this is my first ephemera layout, i actually cried while doing this, *another sigh*.

round 6: words from the heart - since we were to use at least 3 enlarged photos in a spread layout, i thought of using a simple sketch.

i think this is my first time to pour my heart out as if to say: life's happiness doesn't always depend on all fancy and beautiful. family matters most.

final round: done for 3, short hours on october 6, 2007.

this is my first layout on an acrylic sheet. since i forgot to bring my acrylic block for stamping, i did some stamping w/o it. ouch!

going though my layouts, i realized i have done so many firsts in my scrapping life. i learned so many lessons along the way, the most important of which is never to be afraid.

so, what do i look forward to now? to do more layouts and.....to eagerly await for the future scrapfest where i can enjoy, watch and cheer the top 12 of the 2nd scrappinmoms idol do the final round.

in parting (w/ the idol topic), i'd like to salute the scrappinmoms and give my two thumbs up to the first ever idol, cabbie & the runners-up au & tin - - - truly my idols!

You Make Me Smile!

this tag from diane made me smile.

so i'm giving back a smile to those who left a note on my box, and yes,

made me smile: airees, cabbie & ria.

~0~

(bjay & julie: the moment you 'launch' your blogs,

consider yourselves tagged, ok?)

~0~

oh, i'm also tagging my friend bea 'coz she always makes me smile.

Moving to the Final Round

never in my wild imagination did it ever occur to me that i'd reach the last and final round of scrappinmoms idol contest.

i've never been the adventurous and engaging type, yet i ventured to join on last minute. to have gone through the past seven, gruelling weeks was more than adventure in itself.

the night before deadline day of round 6, i couldn't take a decent picture of my spread layout. hubby had to adjust the droplight above our dining table to provide the correct lighting (as if we know what it is). after several fixing here and there, i submitted my entry.

but lo and behold! while the 14 entries were already uploaded, mine was nowhere. my immediate reaction was that i didn't beat the 1pm deadline (as were the deadlines in the previous rounds). since i'm not good at following instructions, i thought the deadline was moved earlier and i wasn't able to read it. i thought. i thought. i thought.

good thing, april was online and i mustered the courage to ask where my entry could have been. she also didn't notice that my entry wasn't uploaded yet. in a while, she ym'd me that pia was already fixing it (oh, ty dearies!).

that was around past 2pm, thursday, sept. 20.

i got to visit the site again close before midnight. another lo and behold! when i clicked the contestants' gallery, my pathetic ID picture was still there.

my initial reaction? oh, i'm not worthy. my co-contestants from the elimination round of 36 are all amazingly talented, and to have been streamlined to 12 and still keep up, is truly unbelievable. for that, i'm deeply humbled.

in two weeks, i'll be doing LIVE my last hurrah for idol amidst my IDOLS. oh i hope the srappinmoms reserves an ambulance to standby at max's come scrapfest day.

in retrospect, i ask myself: if i can turn back the time, will i join the mom's extra challenge contest? maybe not, considering the self-imposed extreme pressure i went through; or maybe yes, considering the many lessons i learned.....ok, i'm leaning towards the latter because i remembered again TIFFANY TILLMAN's comment on my making it to top 30 after i chose to lift her (blog entry on aug. 21 below). it's truly the best pat on the shoulder an idol can give to a fan. for all these, thank you, thank you srappinmoms!

another retrospect: if i can turn back the time, i'll surely submit a much better ID picture, good enough to last 'til the final round.

~0~

on a lighter note, i've just been to scrapbukan's 3rd anniv. / SE eb at luna gardens - - - in fulfillment of my oath to breath and relax at least before the scrapfest.

true of scrapbukan events, the affair was fun-perfect, what with the shopping goodies, food, games (of which our group didn't win but still worth it), loots & prizes....speaking of which, each one of us get to go home some papers & flower embellies. and i won a raffled brag bag! if she gets to read this: thanks so much for your generosity sahrie!

hmmmm...i'll keep this pretty bag within sight

so that it won't follow the fate of my michael's tote

w/c remained quiet in hiding for 1 year!

One Last Round

in 4 days, the 6th and last of the scrappinmoms idol rounds would have been posted for judging. i can almost hear the clock ticking real fast, and my mind can't figure what my entry will look like.

i didn't even expect that i'll make it to top 15. i guess it pays to follow what my heart dictates. i can't even say i have my style. my output really depends on my mood, the pictures, the papers....oh everything. i can''t even stick to a decent sketch.

of the last 5 rounds (+ elimination round), my ephemera entry hit me hard. writing the journal brought me to tears. it's never easy going back to a sad memory. i'm just overwhelmed now that i moved to the last round.

now, i need all the guts i can muster.

I'm Two!!!

i just found out today that this blog actually turned 2 y.o. on sept. 2. how fast time flies.

oh, here's hubby's look-a-like nephew LA, do the sign. peace everyone!

and please dear blog, bear with me.

Inventory

if there's one thing that a scrapbooker needs to do other than creating masterpieces, and yes, shopping, it would be to learn the art of inventory.

i am guilty of not doing this myself, i mean regularly. the first time i did, i found that, aside from several papers, i haven't used these yet:

my mm setter. why? my hammer comes in handy.

oh, don't get me wrong. this surely do an excellent job.

it's just that i kept it somewhere & totally forgot about it.

so this toy is now within reach so it can do me some action next time.

this cutie-pie tote. but hey, we have the license to collect shoes & bags, right?

~0~

pray God, husband doesn't read this, or else.....

Now on to Round 5

for the past 4 weeks that i've been struggling to survive the scrappinmoms' rounds, i had the hardest time taking a photo of my object for my round 4 layout - - - an inanimate object. my utter lack of luck continued to my taking a photo of the layout itself. there was an instance that i wanted to quit. good thing, a clear mind and guts prevailed because, yes, i moved to round 5.

now, i'm facing another concept so foreign to my mind: ephemera.

meanwhile, i'll have to enjoy the weekend first. not that i'm not enjoying my idol ride. it's just that i can't sleep 'til i have a definite concept in mind. don't ask now if i was able to sleep last night.

Passed Round 3 - - - Wheew!

i thought i'd see the end of the line while i was struggling to alter my favorite towel into a hanging magazine holder for the alter challenge of round 3. i guess, the scrappinmoms should re-name this contest to extra challenge instead!

my co-challengers are a creative bunch. my! i'm just amazed. creativity oozed to the max. i'm so proud to be among them, and honestly, i'm humbled. i feel like, do i really belong to this talented group of ladies?

oh well, after pricked and swollen fingers, my reward was a move to round 4. isn't it amazing? i'll be posting my round 4 entry after this. i can only hope for the best.

i'm pretending to be brave *sigh*.

I Survived Round 2!

i had been meaning to stop posting about the weekly rounds of the scrappin' moms idol contest and just wait when i'll be finally able to post my entries (in the event i'm booted out or after the finals - - whichever comes first, haha!), but i just can't. you see, i made it to round 3.

i'm just overwhelmed considering that i had a hard time with the round 2 'only one color' challenge.

now, i'm on to the alter challenge. so help me God.

My Idol in the House & Moving to Round 2!

i got the biggest surprise of my life when i opened my mail during the wee hours of wednesday, aug. 15 to see that there's a comment for moderation on my blog. lo & behold....it came from tiffany!!!!! yes, THE tiffany tillman whose work i lifted for the elimination round of scrappinmoms' idol contest.

immediately, i sent her a message to return her sweet gesture. i just had to tell her that i'm deeply honored for her 'visit', & if only for her comment, i'm already a winner.

the 'high' must have lifted me to finish my round 1 stock on cardstock entry to beat the deadline, again.

i belatedly learned on friday afternoon that i moved to round 2 - - - which makes me on top 27! God is sooo goood.

I'm on Top 30!

not the world's richest though.

but a more rewarding feat - - - you can visit http://www.scrappinmoms.net/scrappinmomsidol/ . the rest of the story is there.

i really didn't plan to join the challenge, but something told me why not? and so, close to midnight before the elimination round deadline, with the 'scraplift your idol' challenge and tiffany tillman ( http://simplytiffany.squarespace.com/ ) in mind, i scoured through my pictures but didn't find among my file that would suit this tifffany's layout entitled shonuff.

exasperated, my eyes chanced upon a picture frame atop our sturdy baul. yes, i got it! i had a picture to scrap at last. to cut the long story short, with the above inspiration, i finished my layout like a breeze, at 2am, deadline day.

2 days later, i learned that my tiffany-inspired layout got me to top 30. i was plainly stunned. thankful. blessed.

as i'm writing this, i have less than 48 hours to create my round 1 'stuck on cardstock' entry. believe me i'm running nuts. but it's fun. i'm keeping in mind that i'm already a winner for making it to the elimination round. and even if i did not, i think i'd still feel the same. because it's no joke to compete with the great scrappers around. to have landed in the top 30 is a bonus. if i'd move further, it will be A BONUS.

note: following contest rules, we are prohibited from posting our layouts anywhere else during the contest period while the contestant is still in the running. so you'll have to search through the scrappinmoms gallery to check all the awesome works of my fellow scrappers.

Layout - Bea

at the scrapfest last may, the main challenge was to do a 12x12 layout using cherry arte papers. since the paper assigned to me didn't match the pictures i brought, i hurried to the canon selphy booth to have pictures developed. i opted for my niece bea's pictures i took in cagpajo farm.

from there i rushed to honey's buzy bee booth to look for a cherry arte paper. with the time i spent at the canon booth, sorting through buzy bee, deciding how my layout will look like & cutting the paper, it seemed like i wasn't joining a time-pressured challenge. i didn't want to submit an untitled layout so i went home with my unfinished work.

2 1/2 months later, i put on the title, inked the edges & figured, this has to be the finished layout simply titled bea (sweet as sugar) :

materials: bazzill yellow & pink cs, provo craft fuschia cs,

cherry arte angel-cutie pie pp, cherry arte chipboard,

provo craft sticker outline for the latters b-e-a,

sakura pen, inkadinkado green ink, eyelets,

button, dmc thread

He's Finally Mine!

so you thought i'm having a clandestine affair? God forbid, no.

yes, i have a new "he" in my life now. but he's a machine. a cutting machine. boy, i've long waited for him to arrive. finally, he's here:

my cricut!

with my cricut came more freebies:

fiskars scissors, uhu glue & 360 pieces patterned papers. cool.

[dear uncle, auntie & ching: thank you, thank you, thank you.]

Tickle Me Pls

that is what i felt when my sister sent me this picture:

a scrapper's haven right in richmond

which makes me wonder with sheer excitement what in heavens did she hoard for me. bwahahaha!

i'm such a geek.

Blues

not the feeling, but the bags.

last week, two friends (who don't know each other) gave me blue bags: a leather liz claiborne and a sporty girbaud.

happy, happy me.

A Playmate

that is what husband had over the weekend - - - his 7-month old cutie pie nephew, dwayne.

they look so alike that we wish he is ours :)

Missing My Sister

...but happy she finally set foot in b.c.

here she is beside the 2010 winter olympics teaser

funny, i used to sing her to sleep when she was a baby. in retrospect, i realized that what i used to do was to carry her and swing my arms vigorously so that she'd get dizzy and...yes, sleep. now, we'd burst into laughter whenever i'd remind her of this ploy.

ours is a typical sister relationship - - - me the over protective and she the pasaway.

oh i'm happy of the many opportunities that lies ahead.

my ever sociable sister: barely 2 weeks,

she already attended the phil. day celebration,

and proud to be a true-blooded waray

What's Cooking?

the summer season is almost over and i still have loads of memories to put unto thee, my blog.

i'm lazy. no, i'm afraid to upload pictures meanwhile that pc at home is not yet dsl-connected. which makes me wonder: does it really take ages for pldt &/or its contractor (pldt's lame excuse) to do the job? oh well, seems like.

~0~

and what's cooking, huh?

a new baby, er a baby gadget is arriving in 30 days! run forex run. and quick please.

this i don't want to wait for ages.

To: My Man

...who is a year older today.

your birthday always reminds me of how lucky i am to have you - - -

despite my tantrums, moodswings, shopping binges,

and lots of imperfections, you continue to love, love,

and love me even more.

thank you dear. like i often say, i shall forever be behind you.

may you always be blessed. haPpy bIrtHdaY!

~ your sweety

{disclaimer: i still have to hear husband call me this,

though in his mobile, he refers to me as his sweety :> }

Merry Month of May

another leaf has been turned yesterday. yah, i'm a year older.

hubby & i, w/ my sister in tow heard mass at shrine of jesus & shared dinner at superbowl of china. of course, their crispy noodles had to be served for 'long life'. quiet celebration huh. and while i was changing into my night wear (yah, i do <"sigh">) & hubby was staring (yah, he still do), he said something to the effect that he has an "old", sexy wife now. hmmmp kapal. of course i didn't like the old part, to think that we are of the same age. in 16 days, i'll have the chance to tell him that i like my older husband more.

~~~

in 2 days, husband & i will be flying to samar again, this time, to exercise our right to suffrage, & to help our aunt win, ehem, again. and since the activity will tire us to the hilt, we opted to stay for 4 days more after may 14, and will fly back on may 19 in time for the scrapfest at makati parks & gardens {pray heavens that PAL will be on time}. and oh, my overseas sister is arriving home this month while another sister is leaving. it's really a mix-full of emotions. truly a merry month!

Look of Summer

i wish life is like this year-round.

carefree. cool yet humid. laidback.

ahhh....summer here you are!


still, even before husband & i could do our first summer pose, he got busy on the phone. but i wasn't deterred from dropping my jaw. oh poor hubby. i figure it was another office emergency. yes, even when on vacation.

A Marathon in December

breaking from what appears to be a blog hiatus last month, here is a rather late entry of what i was up to in december. yes, i marathoned a 30-page album in time for my aunt's visit in january.

the pictures means a lot to my aunt - - - during her 3 sons' toddler years, she had them enrolled in music & thereafter formed a band (golden chain - - they were popular in b.c. during the 80's). i had to make sure the album chronicles the band's events (oh, i had a hard time guessing which comes first 'coz my aunt didn't put notes in most of the pictures).

so that explains the lack of journaling (for which reason, i encouraged my aunt to put the journaling herself).

my consolation: she was so happy when she saw the final product. thanks God she's not hard to please. it must be the 'love' i put into the layouts that she saw.

{i beg for indulgence as i have yet to do some marathon learning on how to stitch while scanning; meanwhile, i've to rely on my dependable digicam}