cooking up a storm

Cooking up another book that'll come out before the holidays!

As usual, the team I'm working with is such a doll. It's the same bunch of lovely people that I worked with in the other book that I managed. I love how it's so easy to work with them, despite the fact that the deadline we're working with right now is insanely tight.

I really wish I can spill more details, but I can't. Suffice it to say that it's another reading material that will come in handy when it comes to nesting. 

I'll announce what exactly it is as soon as it's almost done. This is exciting!

an afternoon with National Artist BenCab

It took me two years to post this four-part entry (such an atrocious, lazy blogger that I am, no?), but it's finally up on my other blog! 

Ladies and gentlemen, my impromptu interview with National Artist Benedicto "BenCab" Cabrera!

Please be patient and watch for the other three parts, which will be posted this week. I promise it won't be a long wait. 

Hope you enjoy it!

this feels really good!

Take control of your spending habits now!

You know that feeling that you're doing a lot of things but you find joy in doing them (no, I'm not referring to my day job, hahaha!)?

Like I've mentioned in my previous entry, I've been very busy lately with things that I love doing: writing and taking photos. I feel so blessed to have been given a number of opportunities to have my articles and photos published. In fact, the October ish of Cosmo Philippines has my photos and a major article (yes,this is me urging everyone to grab a copy!). Yay for October!

My Baguio and Pangasinan pics; images for the books
Heart of the Matter & The Carrie Diaries, plus Powerhits 2010 and
Recovery CDs are mine! Weee!

Other than this, I have something else being cooked up. I can't divulge it now so as not to preempt things, but I'm really excited about it. I'll spill the beans as soon as it's official.

Thank You, Lord, for all these blessings! To You be the glory!

byline whore...and then some

I have been churning a handful of write-ups lately, most of which, I am happy to say, have my byline. I am already on my third article, and there's one more to go before this week ends.

I admit it's not really an easy task, especially when I get distracted by the Internet. Boo. Actually, the hard part there is getting distracted in the middle of transcribing an hour-long interview. I hate transcribing. Anyone who says it's fun to do can get my share. But the writing part is very much welcome. It's weird, but I feel...happy when I write. There's a certain challenge to it that brings me this awesome fulfilled feeling after I've typed (or edited) away the last few concluding words. And of course, there's a byline. In my job at a semi-ad agency department, nobody cares about credits because, well, there's none. Most of the time, though, that works because at least no one would know you did a mediocre material based not on your own concept but on the one who pays you to execute their concept. So you see.

Anyway, it's good to be able to write a decent piece of article. It keeps my brain alive. (And it's also good to know that someone else is cramming to beat deadlines, i.e., my husband. He's not writing, though; he's trying to map out river basins, whatever that means.)

Before I ramble on some more, let me get back to my deadline.

a sneak peek

I was finally able to bring my Sanuk to Baguio!
This is me waking up at 7am to lounge and read at
PNKY's garden before embarking on a long shoot day.

I have been terribly busy this week--so busy that I am barely blogging. In fact, I was horrified to discover that my last entry in my other blog was two months ago! (Well, I just updated it, so there.) My aim to regularly (as in weekly) blog seems to be failing. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I blame work.

Anyway, I've been busy lately mainly on things I love to do. Just recently, I went up again to Baguio on a writing assignment, and it was fun, fun, fun! Because I am not yet allowed to divulge the details, let me just say that my recent trip is one for the books. Why? Two names: BenCab and Ben-Hur. These photos will prove that I've rubbed elbows with these two art maestros.

Me with the crew and National Artist Ben Cabrera

While Ben-Hur was happily regaling us with his stories
and lessons in life, I just had to have a photo op!

That's all for now! Imma get back to transcribing my BenCab interview (which was on-the-spot, I barely have prepared questions; but more on that when I'm already free to talk about the details of the trip). I'll come back with more stories to tell as soon as I beat my deadlines.

no rest for the wicked

Crepe, crepe, hooray!

Last night was a fun night with good friends Archie, Mems and Dit. A failed salon date for me, Dit and Archie (blame our hairstylist who went MIA yesterday) turned into a fun dinner date at Orchard Road in Megamall. Of course, with a bunch of crazy, cool friends, dinner was peppered with lots of laughter, after which it was off to dessert courtesy of sweet Archie.

The crepes we had at Crepes and Cream were huge, it was a hearty dessert indeed! Thanks again, Archiekins! *hugs*

I'm thankful for the great company, as it preceded a busy weekend for me. How busy is busy? This busy:

I have to finish a 2,000-word article due early next week (heck, I had to ask for a little extension so I can get more necessary data) and come up with enough hair accessories to sell at my sister's office tiangge. The latter started from a newfound hobby, and I'm still not sure where it will take me. So far, I find making these dainty pins fun and therapeutic (I found my hubby disagreeing to this when I asked him to help, haha!).

And so I hope to finish everything on time. I do hope everyone's having a great weekend!

P.S.
I stumbled upon this really adorable and amazingly creative blog, thanks to Kat. Who can resist to follow? Not me.

i felt like i'm in elementary again

I have more than one reason why I love writing (the editorial kind, that is). For one, I get to travel and meet new people, like in last Saturday's assignment. Well, fine, it wasn't like I flew to Cebu to feature a posh resort or something; nevertheless, I was still excited about the trip because it brought me to this big bottling company in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and it felt like I was having a field trip back in elementary. I saw assembly lines of bottles being filled with sodas and juices, I got to wear a hard hat and this reflective vest, and learned a lot about the process of how a bottled iced tea is made.

Here was how that day went, in pictures.

of christian bautista and tales of a domesticated life

This is my second time to interview a celebrity. The first one was actor JC de Vera for Cosmo mag's Man on Fire section last December. This time, it was singer Christian Bautista, for the same magazine and section, which is due this coming August.

I'm not a big fan, but I must admit he has a swoon-worthy voice. He's really cute, though, and very nice and witty. When he saw my list of questions, he was shocked to discover that I have 43 items on my list. I bet he thought it would take us forever to finish the interview, but I assured him that all 43 questions are "fun" ones, which means he wasn't expected to give lengthy answers (the section is just a Q&A anyway).

So if you're a fan and you want to know more about this hunky singer's opinion on love, marriage, women and many other things, wait for the Cosmo August issue and grab one as soon as you see it on the newsstand. Oh, and Christian will also be in the September issue, so wait for that, too! (haha, shameless promotion!)

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak:

On the way to the shoot venue in Antipolo, Cosmo's managing editor Camille, formerly my co-editor in our department, and I were talking about our frustrations about renovating/improving our respective homes that we're just currently renting. Then we talked about how Francis and I found the unit in Sofia Bellevue. The conversation spun to other domestic concerns--floor vinyls, house cleaning woes, cooking, etc. We both laughed when we realized that it wasn't so long ago when clothes, bags and shoes dominated our conversations; now it's mostly about being (happily) married.

to organic or not to organic?

Organic on the Table by moi!

Know more about organic products in the May issue of Good Housekeeping! Grab your copy now!

i found a new addiction

I guess I'm someone who's always believed that writing notes on paper trumps the techie way of pressing keys--on a laptop, a desktop computer or a Palm Pilot. I've always found novelty in using good ol' pen and paper. I prefer keeping track of my schedule with my moleskin Starbucks planner (looking forward to a new one this holiday!). I enjoy taking notes of sudden bursts of creativity on a notebook. So it's no surprise that when I stumbled upon these wonderfully pretty notebooks by Paper Blanks, I was smitten.

Fast forward to a few weeks, those lovely notebooks are still on my mind; and yesterday, I have made up my mind to run to the (relatively) new Fully Booked right beside Shangri-la Hotel after work and fulfill my notebook fantasies. And as if destined to happen, our payslip reflected no tax deduction (hence, more money to spare/spend), so there was more motivation to pursue my mission. Cindy, who also went gaga over Paper Blanks, was easily coaxed into buying with me.

Fast forward to a few hours, Jenny, Cindy and I found ourselves entering the kingdom of Fully Booked, with only 15 minutes left before the store closes. Cindy and I were really running around like two headless chickens, not sure which design to buy. Good thing for her, Cindy found the design she first fell in love with. I, on the other hand, had to settle for a notebook bearing the same design that I like but of a different color. Yet fate was kind to me that night: just when I was about to pay for my purchase, my eyes hovered on this revolving acrylic shelf carrying these other notebooks, and there I found my love--a slim, Smythe sewn pad with Lyon Floral design and a magnetic strap enclosure. I jumped with glee! The lovely thing shall serve as my official wedding notebook!

And as if one notebook wasn't enough, Cindy and I couldn't resist the others on display as well. They were of another brand, and a couple of hundreds cheaper than Paper Blanks (I got one by Teneues in a Breakfast at Tiffany's artwork!). So there: Cindy and I ended up panic-buying, while Jen reserved some notepads/sketchpads for her revived sketching passion.

Without further ado, I present my precious buys:

Smythe sewn Paper Blank Journal in Lyon Floral design (slim), P777,
(3 1/2 x 7, 176 pp., with a memento pouch and ribbon page marker, acid-free!)

Teneues Line Journal, small (10 x 15cm),
with garter enclosure and a memento pouch

This one is for a future purchase. I just hope by then, this is already locally available.

Smythe sewn Paper Blank Journal in Good Dog (Darn Itch!) design (5 x 7, 176 pp., with a memento pouch, magnetic strap enclosure and ribbon page marker)

when art imitates life

Another article out in Cosmo Sept. ish! This time, it's all about wise spending. So I guess this is life's way of telling me that I should seriously learn to save and budget for my future family life. Hahaha!

--

Q: What's your romantic bonding ritual?

A: (Please click to enlarge) Teehee!

(On a mushy note:) A few weeks back, Sam (Cosmo's Managing Ed) told me she read this snippet of mine in Cosmo Feb ish. I totally forgot about this one. But I remember Leslie (former Cosmo Managing Ed) asking me a question about me and my fiancé's romantic ritual. Am so glad my answer came out! Yey!

hurry before June ends!

As narrated to me. Please click to enlarge.
And please buy a copy so you get to read the whole story!

Got an article published in Cosmo June ish. Yey! Do grab a copy now hurry hurry!!!

taking pride

Three things I love about this project (in a previous post, it was referred to as The Project):

1. I get to write with my byline
2. I get to take photos and have them published, and
3. I get to travel for free.

I must say that if there's one project I love doing, it's this. Here are my published goodies! Please click on the images to enlarge.

Masigasig April 2008
Words by Mari-an Santos; Photos by Melissa Gamad and yours truly!
Wee! (Took the plaque, beach, and food shots)

Masigasig December 2007:
Words by Sunshine Selga; Photos by Mark Ang

Masigasig November 2007:
Words by Sunshine Selga; Photos by Mark Ang

So please do grab a copy of Globe Masigasig, which comes free with Entrepreneur; or go to the nearest Globe Business Center to get a free copy.

More exciting assignments in the coming months (there's Bohol, Albay and Baguio!), so that means more Masigasig folio soon!

pen and paper issues

Thanks to Sam, Cinds and Mari-an
for these purty notebooks!

Christmas brought me three shiny, cute notebooks. It must be a way of telling me to sit down and write again. Pen "cryptic" lines of poetry and submerge myself in the beauty of free verse. I'm afraid it's been a long while now since I've written a decent line or two. I should really jumpstart the new year with at least one set of decent syntax.

---

The New Year brings a new challenge in my career life, something I never expected. I thought all along that IT was solely mine for the taking; apparently, I was wrong. But I should not even be feeling bad about this challenge. I should not cringe and then turn my back to it. A new year calls for a new strategy--face up to the challenge and tackle it head-on. No room for being a coward now. Fight, fight, fight!

counting my blessings

Things seem to be good lately. They may not be totally good (what could really be good when a friend passed away), but I’m happy that they’re looking up.

First, I’m all excited about Monday, the 26^th. It’s our 9^th year together, and I can’t thank God enough for giving us nine blissfully blessed years. Francis and I plan to head to Tagaytay and see what other new places it has to offer. Every year, we try something new as much as possible (though we spent our 7^th also in Tagaytay, but I’m cool with it). Francis promised me an out-of-town celebration because he knows how badly I need to escape from my job’s inhumane demands and chaotic work sched. I was actually looking at some place farther than Tagaytay, but I’m so desperate to get out of town I’d probably be happy just to go to Laguna. (Well, no, not really). So yeah, Monday is something to look forward to, and that rarely happens because I don’t usually get excited over the first day of the workweek.

Second, this project I’ve been working on is extending for next year. Let’s just say that it’s this one project (let me call it The Project) that I get worked up and happy with—perhaps this is that one project we’re advised to keep close to our hearts so we can all be sane and not resign. Haha! During our recent seminar, we were blatantly told that yes, there are indeed crappy projects; but we have to find this one, golden assignment that we’d be so proud of it could save us from insanity. And I really think this is the one. In the two years that I’ve spent in this pseudo-ad agency department, I’m surprised to see myself waking up very early in the morning despite only three hours of sleep just to make it on time for an early morning shoot. Last week, when I was told that there’d be a meeting to plan for next year, I got excited—never mind if it’s a four-hour brainstorming session.

There are actually a lot of things about The Project that makes me feel perky about, but suffice it to say that it has given me the chance to do what I really want to do and make me want to, um, stay. I would want to get into more details but I don’t want to preempt things, so let’s just leave it at that for now.

Third, I’m constantly being bombarded with blessings (in the form of the written word) that not only allow me to make regular trips to the bank, but also makes me feel fulfilled. Even though at times the load seems overwhelming, I really can’t complain. I only have to worry about my deadlines because I think I’m already lagging behind. Gah!

Fourth, a sweet “accident” recently happened: last Sunday, 18 November, was Sing!, a mini-concert prepared by our church’s Young Adults/Praise team (photos are on their way). I was only supposed to perform a solo number in that event; but one of the praise team members had an emergency so she couldn’t make it. Her role was passed on to me, and I didn’t really mind. What I did mind was the fact that I didn’t know the songs in the lineup, and I barely had a day to practice. I only got to actually learn the lineup on the night before the event. But thank God I was able to pick up and there I was, gladly leading a congregation on that night of musical worship service together with my co-Young Adults. It’s just a wonderful, wonderful feeling to have actually worshipped our Maker through the talents He’s given us. Indeed, music is one great instrument that can bless other people.

Fifth, it’s almost the end of the month, which means that Francis’ contract in Cavite will expire. He’d be back here in Manila, and we’d be back to normal. Though I know that in the future, he’d most likely be assigned to some place else, I’m taking things one day at a time. Might as well enjoy bus trips together before another assignment takes that away.

So this is how it feels to actually count your blessings. Happy sigh.