Early mornings with him = simple joys

Ever since my boyfriend got his bike fixed, we spontaneously instated a routine where we would go biking and walking together early mornings. At about 5:00 am, he rides his bike to our house and then we would walk uphill to a shrine/worship place/church (I'm talking about the Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague). Inside the shrine's compound there's a garden (Catalina Garden) where we usually play frisbee or have a picnic. We also enjoy the cool morning breeze, the lush green grass and the sounds of birds and critters as they greet the morning and sunshine. Sometimes we would just sit and talk about things, his head resting on my lap.  I did mention that this garden is situated on a hilltop right? I'm blessed that I get to enjoy this beautiful scenery with the person I love ♥

taking silly pictures

i didn't wash my face when we headed out XD

inside the shrine. This is definitely one of the most beautiful and serene places in the city.

When it's time for us to go home, I usually ride at the back of his bike. Actually I stand on the bars that are protruding on the side of the bike's rear dropout. The ride downhill? one word = exhilarating :D 

I really love these times with my boyfriend. We really enjoy each other's company and be overwhelmed with our surroundings. It's life's simple blessings and joys that I'm sure I'll be sharing with my kids in the future (hopefully ♥)

Sea Nymphs

I was browsing through my classmate's facebook and good thing she had a copy of our sea nymph-themed photoshoot. The photoshoot was for the elimination round of Foto Modelo Ateneo 2.  It was taken last July 31 (so long ago). I remember being under the blazing sun and it was so hot I could barely keep my eyes open. There were a lot of photographers who joined the elimination round, and at the end only 10 were chosen to proceed to the contest proper. When I still had the copy of the whole entries, it was really hard to pick out the best of the bunch. 

Anywhoo, here's some of the pictures from the photoshoot :D

halfway there

Gosh when was the last time I posted here? There was a time I have completely forgotten about my blog, with all the school work drowning me. Now that the major work's been done and all that's left are exams, I can't wait for the semestral break to come :D (of course I'll still be busy doing my thesis with my groupmates :c )

We had our thesis defense last Oct. 5 Friday. There were still a lot of things to be done and there were many errors in the format, but we just went for it and hoped for the best. Our thesis proposal got approved thankfully, with the panel commending our work. :D it felt really great to be appreciated with all the hard work, sleepless nights and skipped meals :D

Now that the thesis proposal is out of the way the one problem I'm really bothered right now is what to wear for our fine dining event. The theme that was chosen was a photograph-memories wedding theme. Personally I'm strongly against the theme because we are expected to dress up like brides on that night. I hate it because I really consider that moment to be really special and should only happen ones in a girl's life. It shouldn't be taken trivially :c 

I only have a little time left to find a dress and I don't want to spend that much because I usually just end up using the clothes I wear to events only once. But anywhoo, I would love to go to the party in a dress like Audrey Heburn's in Funny Face.

i'm thinking of just going casual, not the all-bride get-up. I'll save that for my special day. 

Anyway, just 5 more months left till graduation day! :D I'm ssoooooo half way there and I can't wait till the day comes when I can finally grasp that hard earned diploma! c:

Gosh when was the last time I posted?Anyway, things have gotten so crazy busy lately I couldn't find the time to write a post. We just celebrated my brother's wedding (finally that's done) (might try to post some pics). I couldn't imagine that last minute problems that could sabotage the whole thing. So the night before the wedding I was so stressed and helpless, I couldn't do anything else but to trust God and thankfully everything went on according to plan.

Anywhoo, I restocked my make- up essentials because my make up bag is officially lost :'( the only thing that I regret that was there was the 2 revlon lipsticks my aunt gave me (it was coral and I loved that lipstick). Just a quick review on the make up thingies I just bought.

                                              

                                           

(from left to right: Nichido Kabuki Brush, Human <3 Nature Blush (Tropical Rose) and Human <3 Nature pressed powder (Island Shell)

I always love Human <3 Nature products because I am assured that what I'm using is safe for me. They only use 100% organic products and I'm very conscious about the ingredients that are included in my makeup. 

I'm really not sure which is the culprit but I have to apply the blush a dozen times to make the color stay on my face. Since its organic it tends to be lighter than other chemical- laden products. I use my kabuki brush to also apply the blush and I think that's the reason why I'm kind of having a hard time applying it (I have to save up again to buy another brush set :( The color suits me just fine (I got caught up between choosing a darker pink one but I thought it wouldn't match my skin tone) So I say this one is perfect for me.

I absolutely love the pressed powder :) It feels so light on my skin but still does its job of controlling the oil. I really hate the itchy feeling that some powders give me and when I usually feel that from using other powders it causes me to break out.

I've wanted to buy this for the longest time and finally I have it :) I used to try this on the counter by pressing it on my palm and it felt to soft. At P230 I say this is a good deal for a kabuki brush. But the only complain I could give it is it's too loose I think? Or the bristles aren't that compact, making me have to brush it on the pressed powder again and again

 When I write a  post about the things that are happening to my life I'm usually detailed about it but I'm getting sleepy now. I'm starting my on the job training at one of the local TV stations here and the call time is 6am in the morning (so early D:) Now I really have to rest and maybe I'll go back to this post sometime and make it better :)

The last year of my college journey

School just started last June 13 (and it's June 23 as I'm writing this) and already there's so many things to do that all I could think about is how to get through and finish all the school work load. Thesis, an event we are assigned to produce, Philosophy class, Theology class, Advertising...Well what better way can the school give me as a hurdle to overcome in my last year? I just need to change how I view things and not see them as "difficult" but rather challenging. :)

Pre-nup video done!

hhaaaaaaaaaa...now I can breathe a sigh of relief. I'm 98% done with my brother's pre-nup video. I procrastinated so much on this projects that it took me 2 months to finish this. I did not have a clue how to put the videos together because when I reviewed my shots, I realized I only had limited descent ones that were not blurry or too shaky.  But mostly because of my cluelessness xc. I had to wait for the photographer's copies to fill my video. I also had to wrestle with my brain to make the creative juices flow. Now I just have to let my boyfriend review it for finalization and that will be crossed off the wedding to do list xc.

Father's letter for His princess

My dear one, No man can ever claim you unless he claims you from Me. I reserved a man for you who has My heart and loves Me more than he will love you. Soon you will know him. I have the perfect time. You are My princess, My daughter. Let no prince claim you unless he asks you from My hand for I am your Father, the King of Kings. You, My princess, are worth loving and deserve a prince. 

                                                                                                                                                     ♥ GOD

(I can't wait to relay this message from God to my daughter, just like how He blessed me with her dad)

Happy Sunday

My parents just came back from Manila after having their visas for US renewed. 

 And they came back with four boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts! One donut is enough for me, but looking at the donuts makes me want to eat more. Restraint is really difficult to carry out at times like this.

This one reminds me of Max's cupcake with bacon. I find pastries with bacon strange...

On an unrelated note, it was the puppies' first time to take in something aside from their mom's milk. We were supposed to spoonfeed them but they ended up working their way to the bowl and gobbling up the baby food all by themselves.

mother's day gone bad

Last Saturday I was really excited for Mother's day and prepared how to celebrate it on Sunday. But when I got home (I got home around 8:00pm) and both of my parents scolded me for arriving home late. Just when I bought flowers (and arranged it myself with the help of my boyfriend) for my mom and was excited to give it to her, I got a scolding instead. I got so depressed (wich added fuel to my menstrual mood swings), I was a total wreck. Now Mother's Day is coming to an end and I never spoke a single word to my mom. I feel really bad about it and letting my pride consume me. They gave me a chance to make up with all the bad things that happened but I shunned it away. I feel really guilty and now I don't really know how to patch things up with my parents. :(

For the last few days...

It's been a while since I last posted. I've been so busy with my mom's business and my brother's wedding. I also want to change my blog's name (any suggestions?) (and yes this is me being capricious). Im itching to find a good name. I think my current blog title is too long. Anyhooo..I also did some projects but I'll get around to posting them once I've finished all of them (I did a bow- belt, a lace racerback top and lace shorts but Im having a problem with the threads color, I need to buy some soon :c )

I can't help but admit that I actually like KFC's mashed potatoes... so I decided to make one myself. I didn't expect they would come out perfectly (since its the first time I made one anyway). It ended up too sweet 

(I would love to hear some mashed potato recipes please c: )

and oh, the puppies just turned a week old yesterday. I really can't wait until their eyes will open. I'm a bit OC so I was delighted to see them arranged neatly while they were drinking milk from their mommy :)

Precious little things

Last Sunday our half shi tzu- half pug gave birth to 7 puppies. While she waas pregnant her belly was so huge but I didn't expect she was carrying 7 pups. Thankfully all of them are healthy. I can't wait for their second week to come so they will be a bit bigger and their fur will start growing longer, and oh I can't wait until their eyes start to open <3 6 of the are have white fur but there was this one puppy who was covered in black fur. We now have a total of 11 dogs in our house and we usually keep them indoors. I can't bear to give them away but our house would be so chaotic when they will grow up x_x

Mountain trip

Last Tuesday my boyfriend's dad invited me to go with them on a trip to a mountain resort. I was very excited because I've been so cooped up in the house for many days and the change of scenery will do me some good. Plus the cool breeze was certainly a relief from the blazing heat we usually experience here in the city.

While we were chatting and enjoying our afternoon snacks, his dad taught me some photography basics like aperture and shutter speed priority. I got excited and immediately tried his tips. For the longest time I finally understood what those mean and how I can use them to my advantage. 

Before I knew anything about aperture and shutter speed, I usually use the picture effect (pop) of my Sony Nex 3 camera (yes I cheat xD). The effect makes the colors look more vivid and sharp. 

This was what we had for our snacks. It's made up of sweet rice cake, rice crispies and native sugar :)

The day was a bit gloomy and later it rained really hard, making the air more cooler. But I would take this weather any day than suffering in blazing heat x_x

the science of self- discipline

       While I was helping out with my mom's business, I decided to listen to an audiobook entitled "Science of Self- Discipline". I picked up a lot from the audiobook which somehow helped reframe my mentality about what self- discipline actually is.

        The most profound thing I learned is you should think about the rewards you get when doing a task so that your mind will be more focused on the reward part rather than on the actual doing of the task. Some people procrastinate because they think that a task is much of  a pain to do that's why they put it off at the last minute. But when you think about the rewards after accomplishing them, it makes you feel more fulfilled and motivated to get the job done immediately. I never really thought about self- discipline in that light before. Now I feel more motivated to do chores and school work :)

Day 10

We went to the beach yesterday. We've been planning about this getaway for a long time. There were some problems before we left for the beach but we were able to settle it and didn't let it spoil the whole day. I hate myself for forgetting to bring my sd card (AARRGGHH!!!>:l and I had to rely on the camera's internal memory. We didn't get to take pictures of the beach. *sigh* I should really check the memory card slot before leaving :C

Davao then

There's a page in Facebook where it had old photos of Davao City. I've always wanted so see how my city looked like years ago. 

Davao City has certainly developed as the years passed by. But still wish I could go back in time when the city was still like this.

I love how the old jeepneys looked like before. they are so small and cute :)

I can quite picture out where this part of the city is. but I love the firetree- lined path and the vintage car

my mom's old school when she was still in college

so this is how airplanes were like back in the days. it's kind of small compared to the ones we have presently. one commented that there was no paved runway.haha...another person noted how the clouds were full and vivid before, not like now when we have global warming to worry about

The old ones used to remark how the streets back then were lined with many great trees. But now all of them were chopped down :(

One of the main roads of the city. I love the look of the old building. 

A front look of the old jeepney. Its appearance is so far from what we have now.

One of my favorite churches in the city. Its actually a shrine that sits atop of a hill.

I have a fondess for old things and it certainly gives me delight to reconnect with anything from the past :)

(I don't claim ownership of these photos. I got them from Davao from the past.)

another surprise

Im currently taking up AB- Mass Communication and in our Journalism class our teacher usually have us write articles. She then submits the best articles to a local newspaper and have them published. Having your work published is an honor and you can't help feeling a tiny bit of pride swelling in your chest. For this school year I had 2 articles published. It's really not much, compared to my other classmates who have had 7 articles printed in the newspaper. But still it's really a great blessing and honor.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2012/04/08/sunday-essays-two-sides-faith-healing-215128

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2011/07/23/sunday-essays-paragons-principled-news-coverage-168607

But I won't go in to the print media after I graduate. Im not that confident with my writing skills plus it's a risky job. I did what my best could do and I'm just thankful for the opportunity that God gave me.

This Day, April 8, 2012, certainly is a very good day for me :)

Day 8: a very special day

Today was my love's birthday. It's the first time we get to spend it together. We've been together for 10 months and I hope it will go on until we are old and wrinkly :) (kinda cheesy, i know xD)

Before meeting him for lunch I was frantically deciding what to wear because we will have dinner later with his family.

The happy birthday card was made of cardboard and the paper from our sky lantern that got wet..hahaha..I didn't want to just throw it away, so I found a way to recycle the paper by twining it.

He couldn't wait to blow out his candles. But actually the cake didn't have candles and he just did this for the pictures. haha :)

This cake was absolutely scrumptious :) It had mango toppings that had a contrasting taste with the butter frosting.

A photo of his family. It was also his parents' wedding anniversary.

Before we went to the restaurant, I came with their family to attend mass. Indeed today was a very special today because I got to spend time with his family and there were a lot of reasons to celebrate. I am really happy and thankful for this day and I just hope more of these opportunities will come along in my life.

Happy Easter!

It's not about the eggs or the bunny. It's a special day that reminds us that Jesus triumphed over sin and opened the way for us to be with Him forever. A blessed Easter to everyone! :)

All part of the deal

Every relationships meet a few bumps in the road. It's either from lack of open communication, pride, jealousy or insecurity. I must admit that there are times that I let my pride take control over me and it hurts him badly. But these bumps are not that bad, it actually helps me to become more mature and understand him more.

I'm just very blessed and thankful that God has given me someone that's so understanding, patient and loving.

My long time online friend

Back when everyone was still on Friendster, I met a really interesting girl named Celine who shared the same interests as mine. We exchanged messages for a long time and we became friends, even though we haven't seen each other personally. She lives in Manila and I'm here in Davao.When Friendster wasn't that popular anymore our communication broke off.

Just this morning I noticed a notification in my Google + that said Celine added me in her circle. I couldn't believe she still remembered me :) Im really happy about it. I guess friendships can transcend time and distance.

Hmmm...I also remembered my other online friend who I called Etna- chan (Etna isn't really her real name but I got that name from Disgaea, a game we both liked) We both liked video games and anime, and it became our common ground. I really liked her because she was sweet and cheery in her messages. She also suggested awesome games like Okami, which I liked very much. And oh, Etna-chan is from Malaysia :)

I think I better drop Etna- chan a message, just to let her know I still remember her :)