Utang ko na TAG for Au, Donna and Mia who tagged me, ayan ha 3-in-1 hehe :-)
7 Random Facts about yours truly:
1. I'm an Allergy monster --- my morning starts with the sniffles and an occassional sneeze out of the shower. A little dust or change in temperature may at times make my eyes water and give me a bout of atchoos :-) Curtains, rugs, furry stuff (as long as i doesn't shed i'm ok :-), dust, weather/temp changes are my curses :-) and Kleenex is my best friend.
2. I know how to butcher :-) --- just chickens that is hehe not that I plan to make a career out of it. I blame it on my alma mater, OB Montessori has Agriculture class for its grade school students. Because of this for 7 years I learned how to create an aquarium, pot plants, plant mustard seeds and yes, even butcher chickens complete with using boiling water to remove the feathers.
3. I'm a Chocoholic --- despite whatever excercise I try to come do, despite what diet I try to follow, chocolates are the end of it all. My kitchen ref has all the healthy happy stuff, but in the den just right by my scrap table I have a small ref with (horrors!) chocolates :-) As of this very moment i'm stuck at home with Pharyngitis, a really bad cold and bouts of fever but i just had to have my chocolate fix last night. Hence, had to have someone go out and get me a Starbucks Brownie :-) Yummy!
4. I have a sweet tooth --- in no particular order my often choice of dessert are chocolate chip cookies, pannacota, cheesecake, key lime pie and brownies :-) and if you brought me to a buffet, I often eye the dessert table first.
5. I'm Organized, NOT! --- I love to fix and organize my files, my bills, my books, scrap supplies and paper. But for the life of me, no matter how I fix my things between a week to a month it always ends up just as messy as I started with if not worse!
6. I get bored easily --- that or I have a short attention span :-/ I like learning new things and I love to experiment.
7. I'm musically inclined . . . NOT! again :-) --- I have had my hand at the classical guitar, electric guitar, drums, piano, took pop singing lessons and opera. Again, that short attention span prevailed hence, i haven't mastered much. As they say, Jack of All trades and Master of None :-) .... hmmmm should make a page out this one.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Catch Up 3: Quiet Hallways
August 1, 2007
A little over a week after my birthday, my Mom had to be rushed to the Emergency Room of Makati Medical Center. Luckily our family had a stay-in nurse and assesed the situation and decided to call me at around 1am that we should bring Mom to the ER. My mom and I live no more than 5 minutes (10 if you count the traffic) apart, so it was easy for us to pick her up. Mom was sweating profusely and was awfully pale when I saw her, as soon as we brought her to the hospital that's when all the tests and medication was administered. Mommy had Pneumonia and a fever, so she had to be admitted immediately. She was fine though, a bit weak but still talkative as ever.
We had stayed for the rest of the day and went home at night to rest, when the early the next morning as I was getting ready to go visit mom I had an urgent call from our family doctor. Moms blood pressure dropped to 50/0!!! Who would have known that from a simple case of Pneumonia it would have been this bad?! Thank God for doctors, to that I commend the doctors and nurses of Makati Med for taking care of my mom so well.
Apparently mom just didn't just have Pneumonia but Kidney stones and an infection which messed up the whole thing along with her high blood sugar. Because of this she had to be fed via NGT (feeding tube via nostrils) and given an EndoTracheal tube so the right amount of oxygen could be administered. Due to her condition, she was sent to the ICU where we spent around a week.
August 22, 2007
I'm happy to say after more than 2 weeks in the hospital mom is doing fine, still hard headed with her food intake LOL and happily (although still weak) shopping again at Landmark and SM.
It was in the hallways of the ICU where the family convened to visit mom, where we prayed, where we told stories of how silly and funny mom can be, how she loved to eat hence the high blood sugar ;-), and it was in these hallways where I often sat alone before the rest of the family arrived. It gave me time to think and go through my life as well as my moms, how life can be taken away so fast and given back as fast too. We are not always given a second lease in life, we could have lost mom weeks ago. . . so to this day, I try to live up to those firsts as my ONLY chance.
THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for my mom, who offered their "get-well" and to the support of my friends and fellow scrappers. Without you guys I don't think I could have held up so well either :-)
A little over a week after my birthday, my Mom had to be rushed to the Emergency Room of Makati Medical Center. Luckily our family had a stay-in nurse and assesed the situation and decided to call me at around 1am that we should bring Mom to the ER. My mom and I live no more than 5 minutes (10 if you count the traffic) apart, so it was easy for us to pick her up. Mom was sweating profusely and was awfully pale when I saw her, as soon as we brought her to the hospital that's when all the tests and medication was administered. Mommy had Pneumonia and a fever, so she had to be admitted immediately. She was fine though, a bit weak but still talkative as ever.
We had stayed for the rest of the day and went home at night to rest, when the early the next morning as I was getting ready to go visit mom I had an urgent call from our family doctor. Moms blood pressure dropped to 50/0!!! Who would have known that from a simple case of Pneumonia it would have been this bad?! Thank God for doctors, to that I commend the doctors and nurses of Makati Med for taking care of my mom so well.
Apparently mom just didn't just have Pneumonia but Kidney stones and an infection which messed up the whole thing along with her high blood sugar. Because of this she had to be fed via NGT (feeding tube via nostrils) and given an EndoTracheal tube so the right amount of oxygen could be administered. Due to her condition, she was sent to the ICU where we spent around a week.
August 22, 2007I'm happy to say after more than 2 weeks in the hospital mom is doing fine, still hard headed with her food intake LOL and happily (although still weak) shopping again at Landmark and SM.
It was in the hallways of the ICU where the family convened to visit mom, where we prayed, where we told stories of how silly and funny mom can be, how she loved to eat hence the high blood sugar ;-), and it was in these hallways where I often sat alone before the rest of the family arrived. It gave me time to think and go through my life as well as my moms, how life can be taken away so fast and given back as fast too. We are not always given a second lease in life, we could have lost mom weeks ago. . . so to this day, I try to live up to those firsts as my ONLY chance.
THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for my mom, who offered their "get-well" and to the support of my friends and fellow scrappers. Without you guys I don't think I could have held up so well either :-)
Catch Up, Part 2: PhotoBUGS
July 18, 2007A few units in Photography back in college helped me take better pictures later on, but still I can not claim to be at the least, an amateur. So I decided to bring, albeit drag :-) my daughter along to take photography classes under Jo Avila, who was also my former college professor.
We decided to take the once a week classes, Saturday being the most convenient. I really enjoyed the class, it was very informative and Jo Avila really knew his stiff. Often times there are photographers who master only one brand of camera, Jo knew the Nikon and Canon cameras like the back of his hand. Although he had a preference over the other, no one felt left out ina sense, since he addressed everyones technical needs.
One of our first assignments was to take photo of a Coke bottle as IF it wasn't a coke bottle. Wheels started to turn and gave me migraine just thinking of it! I was amused that he enjoyed the photo I took of my son, Josh and my Coke "bugs" :-) I had taped pipe cleaners on my coke bottles and arranged it on the floor, had Josh hold a Pepsi bottle at the background. After steadying myself on the floor shooting at floor level, I took a couple of shots and this I think was the best of the lot. Enjoy!
Pardon me, have to play Catch up!
What happend between my last post, our PS EB, photo classes a couple of little moments here and there and my birthday . . . just feels so fleeting :-( But life goes on, so i have to "catch up " on my blog so to speak.
After I had turned 3o, i think i unconciously didn't keep count LOL so there were days when I was asked how old I was I would be off by a year! But the birthdays can't escape you, especially when family dinners and coffee shop surprises remind you :-) Some say I may as well be 50 years old with what i've been through, but I owe it to the strength of the women in my family to keep me going and definitely NOT look 50!!!
And so July 23rd rolls along and I still thank the Lord for blessing me with a wonderful and supportive family, great friends and all in all despite the crazy ride I wouldn't change it for the world :-)
Digital Elements:
Tia Bennet Seals, Sassy by Rhonna Farrer
Sunday, May 27, 2007
I have succumbed!!!
In the real world, weekdays are spent coordinating advertising materials for our shoes stores and designing for our slippers. In the real world, I spent more time with my laptop than sleeping. Adobe Photoshop CS2 and InDesign, along with Photos.Com, DeviantArt, Clipart.com, Computer Arts.com are my virtual barkada to name a few.
So when I return home, I can't wait to spend time getting my hands "dirty." Sticky glue, pulling rough twine, twisting wires and cutting up paper is my element. I sprinkle my digital skills on enhancing photos and printing out titles or journaling but often I stop there . . . after all, how much virtual-ity do i need (if there ever is such a word!).
I had spent the weekend in Tagaytay, it was cool and raining. I wanted to get some tennis in or any physical activity while we were out of town, but the weather was just enough to keep me in bed or stuck to my seat in the coffee shop. My digital camera was at the ready to capture at a moments notice and my little notepad along with scrap mags for instant inspiration for later scrapping. But in the end, as much as I was in a very relaxing atmosphere, I wanted to scrap! I didn't bring any of my scrap materials with me, and so I found myself staring at the ceiling . . . and deduced that I am dang bored! What to do, what to do . . .
Hmmmm, I haven't "cleaned" up my laptop in ages so I started arranging and re-arranging my folders when I happened upon a folder aptly named "DigiScraps." After clicking, I realized I had downloaded a couple of free digital scrap kits which I totally forgot about. Heeeey, now I CAN scrap! Oh, I didn't stop there. Luckily the country club had free wifi, so in true scrapaholic fashion, I whipped out my trusty (and squeaky clean) credit card and bought a couple of digital elements to add to my free ones.
Now if I can just keep myself from making digital scrap pages at work :-)
-----
LO: Sis
DIGITAL ELEMENTS: (Digitaldesigners.com) Kim Pertiet, Curled Photo Frame / Ecuts, Romantic Rose Frame, Tags and Notepad / Notepad, twine, blanket stitch and tag, Kim Hill, Juicy Fruit Elements / Bacnground paper Seasonal Sampler, Buttons, Smarshmallows & Amore, Shabby Princess (shabbyprincess.com) / Polka Dot Scallops, Rhona Fahrer, Spring
FONTS: Ballpark and Enchanted Prairie
JOURNALING:
Growing up apart was quite difficult, I remember how we used to trade handprints and even cut locks of hair before we parted. We never failed to keep in touch and despite the growin pains and gaps we've had in the past we've proven --- that being sisters is thicker than water.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Another day . . . another Hoard (sort of)
I've done my research, gone online to the Myscrapworks site and checked out the scrap stores they suggested for both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur; I also googled just to be safe. Upon arriving in Singapore, i couldn't help but get antsy about taking half a day to go scrap shopping. We were to stay in Singapore for 5 days before moving on to KL, day 1 passed, then 2, then 3 . . . omg! I was getting really nervous! I told my family that over my dead body am I leaving Singapore without going to at least ONE store! Thank goodness we had a "free" day, we all pretty much went our own ways to shop.
First stop was MADE WITH LOVE, http://www.madewithlove.com.sg Address: 68 Orchard Road Plaza Singapura Unit 03-21 Singapore 238839
According to an email from one of the MWL staff directions follow: "take the underground trains, you could always pop over to the Orchard Mass Rapid Transit(MRT) station which is just opposite the Marriot and stop at Dhoby Gaut MRT station which is just 2 stops away. Alternatively, you could walk over to the bus-stop in front off the Marriot Hotel and hop onto any bus that you find there that matches the ones that we've stated arrive at our door-step. It's just one straight road down to where we are from the bus stop at Marriot"
As long as you're on Orchard Rd. you can't miss it, or if you do get lost just ask a local and you'll easily find your way.
MWL was most impressive, the selling area was well utilized to store as much supplies as they could. And take note, MWL has new stuff arriving every week! So far, this is the sweetest store i've been in. The black walls are actually storage for paper! I was thinking, the paper choices were so few for such a big store. Then this lady (a customer) just slid the cabinet door and voila! more paper goodness. Not to mention the rows of embellys and stickers! I was going gaga! But I had to hold back as well, since I knew that the exchange rate in Singapore is much higher.
There also was the MWL Cafe, according to one of their friendly staff the wives usually have their husbands or kids stay in the cafe while they shop. How cool is that? After all, how can we shop seriously when we're constantly rushed. But then again, Plaza Singapura is a good sized mall so I told the fam to just leave me in MWL and text me when it was time to leave :-)
Next stop was LAINE'S PAPETERIE
http://www.laines.com.sg
510 Orchard Road Wheelock Place #03-13A
The great thing about Laine's is that it is on the upper floor of Borders! Another favorite haunt of mine. Laine's is much smaller than MWL but they did have items which the previous store did not carry, and that's where I saw a demo of the Quickutz Revolution. . . I had to stop myself from drooling.
Laine's had a nice selection of one of kind emebellys and punches which I really liked.
And so, I ended my day in Singapore by carefully storing all my paper in a Cropper Hopper and my embellys safely tucked in a shoe box. On to Kuala Lumpur . . .
KL was most impressive, the architecture and historical landmarks were remarkable. But as always, I was getting fidgety since we were going to be in Kl for a week. Day 1, day 2 . . . Day5!!! horrors! Finally, by day 6 we had another "free" day so I gathered the gang up and headed to One Utama shopping mall.
One Utama was HUGE! We weren't able to cover the whole mall but I was able to make a stop over at one scrap store.
Last Stop, CRAFT HAVEN
2nd Floor, One Utama
Kuala Lumpur
Craft Haven reminded me of SMILE here in Manila, although with slightly more craft related items along with the scrapbook supplies. I really didn't get a butt-load of stuff, just a couple of stickers and embellys. At least enough to make me satisfy my curiosity as to what KL can offer a scrapaholic.
And so, another summer has passed as I had ventured to my scrappy cravings. I know I lack the prices, soon as I find some of my receipts i'll post them. I guess they were too expensive for me to look at, more so remember haha! Hope you enjoyed my "tra-vails" :-)
First stop was MADE WITH LOVE, http://www.madewithlove.com.sg Address: 68 Orchard Road Plaza Singapura Unit 03-21 Singapore 238839 According to an email from one of the MWL staff directions follow: "take the underground trains, you could always pop over to the Orchard Mass Rapid Transit(MRT) station which is just opposite the Marriot and stop at Dhoby Gaut MRT station which is just 2 stops away. Alternatively, you could walk over to the bus-stop in front off the Marriot Hotel and hop onto any bus that you find there that matches the ones that we've stated arrive at our door-step. It's just one straight road down to where we are from the bus stop at Marriot"
As long as you're on Orchard Rd. you can't miss it, or if you do get lost just ask a local and you'll easily find your way.
MWL was most impressive, the selling area was well utilized to store as much supplies as they could. And take note, MWL has new stuff arriving every week! So far, this is the sweetest store i've been in. The black walls are actually storage for paper! I was thinking, the paper choices were so few for such a big store. Then this lady (a customer) just slid the cabinet door and voila! more paper goodness. Not to mention the rows of embellys and stickers! I was going gaga! But I had to hold back as well, since I knew that the exchange rate in Singapore is much higher.
There also was the MWL Cafe, according to one of their friendly staff the wives usually have their husbands or kids stay in the cafe while they shop. How cool is that? After all, how can we shop seriously when we're constantly rushed. But then again, Plaza Singapura is a good sized mall so I told the fam to just leave me in MWL and text me when it was time to leave :-)
Next stop was LAINE'S PAPETERIE
http://www.laines.com.sg
510 Orchard Road Wheelock Place #03-13A
The great thing about Laine's is that it is on the upper floor of Borders! Another favorite haunt of mine. Laine's is much smaller than MWL but they did have items which the previous store did not carry, and that's where I saw a demo of the Quickutz Revolution. . . I had to stop myself from drooling.
Laine's had a nice selection of one of kind emebellys and punches which I really liked.
And so, I ended my day in Singapore by carefully storing all my paper in a Cropper Hopper and my embellys safely tucked in a shoe box. On to Kuala Lumpur . . .
KL was most impressive, the architecture and historical landmarks were remarkable. But as always, I was getting fidgety since we were going to be in Kl for a week. Day 1, day 2 . . . Day5!!! horrors! Finally, by day 6 we had another "free" day so I gathered the gang up and headed to One Utama shopping mall.
One Utama was HUGE! We weren't able to cover the whole mall but I was able to make a stop over at one scrap store.
Last Stop, CRAFT HAVEN
2nd Floor, One Utama
Kuala Lumpur
Craft Haven reminded me of SMILE here in Manila, although with slightly more craft related items along with the scrapbook supplies. I really didn't get a butt-load of stuff, just a couple of stickers and embellys. At least enough to make me satisfy my curiosity as to what KL can offer a scrapaholic.And so, another summer has passed as I had ventured to my scrappy cravings. I know I lack the prices, soon as I find some of my receipts i'll post them. I guess they were too expensive for me to look at, more so remember haha! Hope you enjoyed my "tra-vails" :-)
BackSCRAPping Exposed!!!
A seasoned traveller will always lay out his or her clothes upon arriving at the hotel . . . a seasoned scrapper will always fish out her (or his) scrap box amid the tumbled toiletries and shoes. . . to my experience anyway :-)Like clockwork during our vaca i find myself dragging aching, albeit *throbbing*, feet back to our hotel room after a day of sight seeing and other touristy stuff . . . after i've donned my PJ's i quietly settle myself on the hotel desk and commit to my adventure full of BS (that's Backpack Scrapping to you :-)
Sure I was tired, and the humidity of both Singapore and Malaysia didn't help either. But once I was in the scrapping zone (all scrappers know the "zone"), aches and pains were gone! I never knew scrapping could be so therapeutic . . . forget Bengay and Salonpas!
But i have to be honest, I snuck in a couple more supplies at the last minute. Additional rub-ons, a couple more papers and extra glue tape (for the Tombo) which i'm so thankful for since I ran out during the process. One of the hitches you may encounter is delayed scrapping. As much as I had wanted to make my pages real time there were just days I missed out and had to catch up but it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Not having to follow any "rules" it was quite fun and liberating.
The best part was that my family was so supportive, they contributed to my collection of ephemera and photos. It really helped having a Selphy around but even if you didn't have a compact photo printer the brochures, postcards, etc. were enough to convey your latest adventures.
So here are some tips to those who are willing to delve into BackScrapping :-)
1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. But then again, don't bring your entire scrap room either. Bring the essentials like your camera (forget everything else just not your cam!), scissors, glue, ruler, stapler, pens, mini puncher, embellys (brads, strips of ribbon), rub ons, stickers, scraps of paper, and your mini scrapbook ofcourse! I also brought a magazine along for instant inspiration, the only problem was chosing which one! If i missed out on anything, please refer to my previous article. It really helped I had a sturdy plastic box to store it all, i highly suggest it.
** A side tip, if you have a trip in a nearby place like Tagaytay, La Union, or even if you're spending overnight at a hotel or a friends place, I suggest you "practise" when you can. Luckily I had an overnight stay in Tagaytay prior to my flight, this helped me warm up somewhat. And that's when I knew i lacked some other essentials for my backscrapping.
2. Upon arriving at the airport of your destination, head on to the nearest tourist display where they hold maps, brochures, etc. The best part is, they're all free! Same goes for the hotels too.
3. Keep in mind wherever you are, try to take a couple of ephemera with you. Wrappers of candy, coasters, table napkins, matchbook covers, I
even took the stickers they place around the luggage.4. Be trigger happy! Other than the touristy stuff, I made a mental note to take shots of our luggage, signages, our feet dangling in the bus, I even took shots of the texture of this exquisite wall in our hotel. All those little things which we soon forget once we return home are just as essential as the landmarks.
5. Enjoy! I wouldn't want you to pay so much attention to your scrapping you forget to enjoy your whole trip. Both should be symbiotic, after all, that's why we scrap isn't it.
*** For more photos of my travel journal, please click on ONLINE ALBUMS (BackScrapping)
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