[creativity runs in the family]

i'm not the only one who is artsy-craftsy in our family. my two cousins in california are also creative peeps who are "artpreneurs".

karen & kristin

there's KAREN, my ballerina/photographer/bag designer cousin. she is a former professional ballerina who got into the bag business after her stint at the san francisco ballet company. her website www. nepacena.com  is an online store for practically all types of bags - from handbags, totes to duffles or diaper bags. each bag, carefully designed & crafted with the help of her mom, is named after women who have inspired her through life.

LUCIE bag photo - www.nepacena.com

another of her venture is  www.real-exposure.com, a wedding photography business owned & run by her & her hubby, JOHN. being a business & fine art photography graduate of northeastern university, this business is close to her heart. aside from wedding photography, they also go into commercial, travel,  maternity, newborn & family photography. look through their site or FB page & see the beautifully & artistically captured photos done only by the creative geniuses, karen, john & omar. 

via REAL EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY in FB

my other cousin, KRISTIN, the kid sister of karen, is the lady behind www.petals & posy.com. she is a professional florist whose "design philosophy is guided by the singular principle -  style that's understated is most elegant."  she does floral arrangements, centerpieces & bouquets for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries & special events around the san francisco bay area. visit her site or FB page & see her modern floral art pieces that are worth second looks.

profile pic - PETALS & POSY facebook page

[astig!!!!]

pardon my being a "maroon" to the core, but i just have to share this photo posted on the state u's official facebook page. for me, nothing else can be as awesome as this...

 the oblation's silhouette on a giant star lantern
photo credit: jun madrid

speaking of lanterns, the up lantern parade  is coming up. this tradition, held yearly and  usually a day before the start of the christmas break has  been in existence for 89 years already. it started in 1922 in the padre faura campus. lanterns made by each participating college or campus office are paraded around the school grounds. so for those who would like to see & be part of the festivities, be there on friday 16 dec 2011 at the diliman campus, hours before the 4 pm parade. 

['tis the season for a TOKYO TOKYO party]

i had a late lunch at tokyo tokyo sm taytay yesterday. the cashier gave me this brochure along with my receipt & change for the the take-away food i bought. 

since corporate christmas parties & family reunions are going to be a-plenty starting the 1st week of december, this could come in handy for those who are handling the preps. affordable & delicious meal packages are yours for the choosing (& taking). such a great idea!

*scanned copies of brochure; not a paid ad

[a BELIEBER in the house]

My youngest is so into JUSTIN BIEBER! Her iPod playlist includes songs from JB's christmas album, one of which is the carrier single, UNDER THE MISTLETOE :

She even got a special SOMEDAY perfume collection as a gift from our  relatives in the states.

And a month before that, she bought the NEVER SAY NEVER vcd.

If these things don't make her a certified BELIEBER, I don't know what else will... =)

[essential]

i just had to impart this quote from mother teresa.  it came from a wall post of a good friend/co-parent in my youngest daughter's school.

it boils down to one thing, material possessions & fleeting aspirations are nothing compared to becoming a "person for others", just like what mother teresa did when she was alive. she practiced what she preached & for that, she was elevated to being a saint in no time at all after her death.

[yoga moves for flat abs]

i lost considerable weight when i was into hot flow yoga almost 2 years ago. unfortunately, since i stopped, i'm back to having the unwanted pounds.

this morning, i found this online (via yahoo! health) and decided to share this. after all, one does not have to attend exercise classes just to be fit & healthy.

for those SAHM's, doing this pose (and 8 other moves) just before doing your household chores or personal errands in the morning, can get you that yoga fix.

become fit & fab in no time. try them now!

[swooning over ROBERT PATTINSON in BREAKING DAWN!]

The whole family watched 'Breaking Dawn' in Trinoma last night. As expected, a large throng of  Twilight fans queued up to see the movie. What kept me glued to the screen was not because I was into the movie per se but because Robert Pattinson was undeniably HOT! Take a load of these pictures:

As i swoon while I write this, hubby is looking over my shoulder & said " ang tanda mo na, kinikilig ka pa!".  I retorted, "Ang guapo e!" 

Really, RPATZ leveled up with respect to his gorgeousness in this movie. Even Ellen de Generes agrees. watch this:

*pictures via GOOGLE images
*video via YOUTUBE

[happy mornings with MR. FU]

driving to megamall one morning, i tuned in to an FM radio station. the dj that time was so chatty, outrageously funny, and his witty one-liners kept all of us in stitches. from that day on, i got hooked!

the funny dj turned out to be MR. FU!

Mr. Fu (or Jeffrey Espiritu in real life) is a disc jockey in wowFM 103.5.  aside from his morning radio stint (daily from 8am-11am), he is also in wow mali!, paparazzi & pinoy samurai, all tv 5 shows as segment host/co-host. 

he really is soooo funny! i breeze through my morning household chores now because listening to his "chorvah" comments gets all those happy hormones all revved up. his ridiculously sarcastic & funny pieces of advice to listeners provide a welcome comic relief to my otherwise "drab" day at home. 

listen to how hilarious he can get :

MR FU, the dj/celebrity host now touted as one of  the country's top 10 comedians, will really brighten up your day.  catch him during his morning show on your FM radio or online thru live streaming. 

[prefab green - the book]

may of last year, 2 couples (paternal relatives) from the u s of a arrived in manila for a 3-week visit. as typical of balikbayans, they had boxes of pasalubongs for all of us here. the usual chocolates, canned goods, grocery food items, medicines for the oldies, cosmetics, etc. however, out of all these, one pasalubong stood out for me - the coffee table book PREFAB GREEN. my tito alex, who i didn't know actually shared the same interest with me, is also into modern architecture. he told me one time that he's a frustrated architect. i have seen photos of his backyard projects in their california abode (zen-like gardens, patios & even playhouses) & i can say that we really go for the same style.

anyway, this book came right on time, when i've just joined the greenAP group.

PREFAB GREEN is a resource book on pre-fabricated sustainable houses designed & built by american architect michelle kaufmann of michelle kaufmann designs. the book features different house designs made of eco-friendly materials, with built-in utilities that are energy-efficient, water-saving & environment friendly.

look into the official site of architect michelle kaufmann to get to know the lady who came up with the designs (in collaboration with architect cathy remick) & find out how a house that is built based on sustainable design principles can have a positive impact on our environment. 

[KERYGMA CONFERENCE 2011]

be in GOD's company,

harvest the blessings,

register & join this year's  KERYGMA CONFERENCE!

from november 18-20, 2011 (friday till sunday), various streams/talks will be held at different venues:

• youth stream: transformers: rise of the youth - world trade center tent, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 300.00
• inner healing stream:  renew the glory - picc reception hall, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00
• faith stream:  the glory of believing - le pavillon, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00
• solo parents stream:  raising glory - picc meeting room 11, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00
• single blessedness stream:  a glorious calling - picc meeting room 12, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00
• leadership conference: real glory - picc plenary hall, ccp conplex, 18 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 800.00
• family stream: multiply the glory - picc plenary hall, ccp conplex, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00
• singles stream: go for glory - aliw theater, 19 nov 2011, 8am-5pm, ticket price php 600.00

on the last day, a GRAND FEAST- with holy mass & special ministering time with Bo Sanchez - will be held at the picc plenary & reception halls, ccp complex from 5pm-8pm.

block-off the dates & go here for additional details.

*photo source - facebook account of  kerygma conference
*video source - youtube

[SM homeworld decorates with holiday flair]

i grabbed this copy from the sm megamall home store yesterday.

2011 holiday catalogue

this is a good source of  holiday decorating ideas:

go visit sm home stores now to get your own copies & see their latest holiday displays.  

[the DOMINO effect]

sometime early 2009, the online magazine, DOMINO closed shop  just when i was beginning to enjoy looking through the pages. i came to know about the magazine through the copies my aunt litz gave me during their last manila visit. they're back copies, yes, but i certainly don't mind, since they are page-turners. 

what's inside DOMINO mag:  featured homes, articles on home decorating, entertaining, editor's picks on "editor's cravings", a contributor's "10 things that make me happy", home finds on "scouting".

and because it became love-at-first-browse, i sweetly requested hubby to buy me the hard-bound DOMINO, the book of decorating which i got for more or less Php 1,300. this book is so worth the price!

cover

"vintage modern" style

mix & match how-to's

 jazzing up a kid's room

decor tips

by the way, a piece of good news - DOMINO magazine is now back on-line via www.brides.com. i accidentally found it while looking for interior design pictures & websites. see here and get inspired by it's many home style ideas.