counting my blessings

Because I can foresee that the following weeks will be crazy busy, allow me to reflect on happy, blessed things that happened recently/is happening/will happen soon:

Ice Cream Assassins with UR Face Radio DJ Sick James;
that's me and hubby, screen cap courtesy of sis (thanks, Sis!)

1. After two years, our pseudo-band reunited again for an exciting radio guesting last June 21! We were all so stoked about the prospect because the last time we got together was for our wedding. The one-day-only practice had been a breeze, and the guesting itself was fun, fun, fun despite the downpour! Like I said, it's so good to have been back on the mic again.

Many, many thanks to UP Music Circle, our ever beloved college org (yes, I'm one of the founders, and yes, I am that old but shut up, haha!) for inviting us; and of course, to UR Face Radio for letting us crash and do our thang. Do listen to a collection of songs from Music Circle's bands here, and don't forget to check out Ice Cream Assassin's Coffee Dew (that's us!)!

2. There's this book I'm working on, and I can't say yet what it is so as not to preempt things. But here's a clue: it's going to be pages and pages of coooool ideas about nesting! My team is busy completing the whole thing, and I do hope we can manage to remain on schedule. I can't wait for the launch, which is going to be on the latter part of this year!

3. Every day, I am so tempted to skip work because of the sleepy weather and our cozy, cozy home. As mentioned in my previous entries, our dear nest still needs a lot of work and sprucing up, but I'm so, so in love with it already. I probably wouldn't mind staying in and just being lazy all week long. Happy sigh!

4. Hubby and I have become responsible adults recently when we decided to take a leap of faith and plunge into investments. It's not much, but it's a start. We hope and pray that we'll be blessed by it so we can share the blessings!

5. One word: Baguio. There's a trip coming up soon, this time around, hubby and I will be bringing my mom along. I promised her a Baguio trip two years ago, and it's about time that I keep true to that promise. So I'll be packing scarves and jackets and boots again real soon. Hurrah! (Plus, a Baguio trip is well-deserved, especially with the chaos I'll be going through the next few weeks.)

Well, it's true that when things are looking down, you just have to count your blessings. I look forward to counting more (minus the things-that-are-looking-down, haha!)!

welcome to our home: part 2

Once the unit improvement of our little home was finally done, Francis and I were so raring to start sprucing up the place. But we already know from the get-go that making our home magazine feature-worthy (yes, that's a shameless ambition of ours) isn't going to happen overnight. We know that we shouldn't rush things if we really want a nest cozy and pretty enough that it makes us excited to go home every single day.

So we're taking baby steps into "Baguio-fying" our 42sqm unit. And here's what we've started on so far...

Our building's spacious hallway

The pretty pillows which we recently snagged from
Mandaue Furniture--AND THEY'RE ON SALE...


...and the "preggy" vase, which was originally an accent of our dining table.
(say hello to the scaffolding! We're having something repaired
so forgive its unsightly appearance.)


I wasn't able to resist that woven table runner from Landmark,
and so there it is. The center piece was sitting pretty in our living area,
but we decided it looks better on our dining table.


Detail of the drop light hanging above our dining table.
We really love how ethereal the design looks!
This is our own version of a messy kitchen. Haha!


The cute wooden owls I scored from Sabado's in Baguio,
when I went there with the Real Living team for a writing assignment.
This corner is their temporary nest, amidst the blue vases
which kinda don't fit our color scheme, haha!

There's still a lot of stuff to buy--extra seating for the living area, outdoor chairs and table for the balcony, shelves, storage boxes, bedroom side tables, etc; and many things to do--print, frame and hang my photos of Baguio, find the perfect spot for Francis' indigenous musical instruments, go to Baguio for more Baguio stuff, have our bathroom improved and do a lot more organizing. So because our humble abode is still a work in progress, this entry shall come in a handful of installments (see part one here)--and I'm looking forward to sharing every one of them!

the truth about recipe books

Since I got married, I discovered that I can actually cook, and that the dishes I prepare are actually edible. In fact on some good days, I'm able to whip up scrumptious meals.

I usually "play it by ear", so to speak, when I prepare food--no recipes to guide me. More often than not, I just come up with a nameless dish whose ingredients all depend on what's in our fridge and cupboard. But on days when I run out of ideas, I consult recipe books. The other night's dinner, for instance, was the result of one recipe: chicken satay. I'm proud to say I did a pretty decent job.

And then there was last night's stuffed tomatoes, which was a...

HORRIBLY INEXPLICABLE DISASTER!

Apparently, scooping the seed-laden flesh of tomatoes isn't as easy as the recipe made it sound.

IT WAS ALL A BIG LIE!!! *fist in the air*

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year 31

An orange rose from le hubby, given a day in advance because
flower shops were closed on my birthday

I dreaded my 31st birthday. It’s like a screaming signboard that says I’m no longer young, that I have to step up to what being 31 should be (what should it be?). I guess that fear is somehow a subconscious reason why I decided to celebrate it simply. Well, aside from the fact that I’m also watching my spending these days for something I’m saving up for, I wanted my birthday to be quiet.

I was initially planning to celebrate it at a fancy restaurant, but I scratched the idea. Besides, my birthday fell on Maundy Thursday, which means there are no establishments open. I could see no point in putting the celebration to a later date. And so I decided to go for something really simple and quiet—an afternoon picnic with my husband in UP.

After the morning chores, which included cleaning the house and organizing our many stuff (finally, our contractor finished their job and we’re now able to put everything in their proper place; more on this in a future post), cooking lunch and doing the laundry, I finally got around to preparing our humble picnic fare—freshly brewed Monk’s Blend coffee from Davao and a half roll of mango cake from Red Ribbon, plus a bag of tortilla chips. And when I was done making sure that we have all the other things we needed, we were off to UP at the stroke of 3:30PM.

Finding a nice spot in Lagoon wasn’t that difficult, but making sure we’re at a safe distance from other picnickers was a challenge; I didn’t want other people encroaching our spot. We finally settled to lay the sarong-turned-picnic-mat under a large tree, and set out to devour our fare. Our hushed conversation was punctuated by peals of laughter from nearby kids playing and the chime of the Carillon. (I felt giddy hearing the bells tolling to the tune of UP Naming Mahal, albeit being out of tune, haha!) When the sunlight was threatening to fade, we decided to move camp to Sunken Garden.

Walking along the University Oval on a weekend or a holiday has always been a calming experience. We were greeted by shafts of late afternoon light while we were on our way to lagoon, and on our way to Sunken Garden, more than a handful of joggers and cyclists were already occupying the traffic-less lanes.

We sat at the “rim” of the famous university landmark, not daring to come down any further for fear that a stray soccer ball or disc might hit us, what with the many groups of families and friends engaging in the sports. So we just sat there talking about mundane things—a mom looking tired from playing soccer with her husband and kids, which among the four boys were her kids, how a toy dog (was it a dachshund?) not far away from us can bark so loud, how we badly want our own dog but can’t (condo rules, boooo!), our future kids getting used to hanging out in UP every weekends especially now that we live nearby, and many other things we found interesting at that moment. When it was almost 7PM, we got up, packed our things and headed home.

Looking back at that simple celebration, I can’t help but think that I was so silly to have been terrified of turning another year older. If every year will be as peaceful and wonderful as that afternoon, I can get used to turning over a new leaf after another.

now you see me, now you don't

Hullo!

I haven't been blogging lately, I know. That's because our new pad has been my greatest pre-occupation lately; add the fact that our contractor still hasn't finished working with our unit improvement (40 square meters is taking more than two months to finish! Que horror!). Hubby and I are stressed enough about it, and I don't want to go into the stressful details. I just wish that by next month, I can finally blog about and post pictures of our new place.

Also an impediment to my regular blogging is the fact that we still don't have a DSL connection at home. Sure, I can blog away at work, but I prefer the convenience of doing it at home sans the interruptions. I do hope that PLDT lines will soon be up in our condo, so that I can surf and blog and post to my heart's content.

Excuses, excuses, right? Haha! Well, that's Internet life for me these days.

Until my next post (crossing my fingers that it'll be soon),

Shine

lights, camera, action!

As the scheduled date of our move-in to our new home draws near, Francis and I get more and more excited. The fruit of all the stress and hard work will soon be "unveiled", so to speak. By stress, I mean this:

I recommend clicking the image above for a bigger picture
and a better idea of what we went through. Hahaha!

These are the many, dizzying choices we had to put up with while searching for the perfect drop light for our dining area--and that's just the dining area. Why that much effort for that particular nook? Because that's the first area that will greet us as we enter our new home, and we want a piece de resistance that will greet us as we come home from a stressful day. And so the weeks-long search ended when we saw this at Alton Lights in Ortigas Home Depot the second time we went.


Francis and I were so, so happy and elated to have finally found the perfect lighting fixture that's a cross between modern (something to offset the woodsy feel of our Baguio-meets-Zen home) and ethereal (the intricate details still has me mesmerized! The design kind of reminds me of the Tree of Gondor in LOTR, haha!). What sealed the deal was the very affordable price: we got it for less than P3,500, as it came with a 10 percent discount! The moment I set my eyes on this, I knew I was in love and would not have been convinced otherwise.

As for the other lighting fixtures, this one from Wilcon-Quirino goes to our kitchen...


...and this one from Bell's Lighting in MC Home Depot is for our living room.


We were also able to purchase two more for our bedroom and the (future) kid's room, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos of them.

Most of these lights will be white, with the exception of the "Tree of Gondor" drop light, which will be warm white. But of course, we didn't fail to consider having warm, mood lighting in the form of LED (more eco-friendly than CFLs!) pin lights. As for the bathroom, our architect advised us to just go for two medium-sized down lights that will be installed on opposite sides of the area (one on the left and the other on the right).

We were originally planning to have one or two organic-looking lighting pieces, but we opted for those that have a modern feel for fear of being horribly redundant. With browns, woods, twigs and a hint of indigenous items that will be used as accents, we don't want our home looking like an old Baguio cabin resthouse.

Francis and I really can't contain our excitement, especially when we saw the progress of our unit improvement! We hope that the next time we pay a visit a few days from now, our lovely lights will have already been installed. Yaaay!

P.S.
Yes, there will be more home updates in future posts, so please bear with me!

because DMB says "you and me together, we can do anything"

We can always look back at what we did
All these memories of you and me baby
But right now it's you and me forever girl
And you know we could do better than anything that we did
You know that you and me, we could do anything
-- Dave Matthews, "You and Me"

The new year found us "updating" our couple song (yes, we still buy into that). The original, which we will still cherish of course, is Lisa Angelie's The First Time I Loved Forever (from The Beauty and the Beast TV series). We fell in love with the lyrics, which is the same thing that happened with Dave Matthews' You and Me. Here's the vid.



Francis found the song beautiful, and so he told me about it one night and I immediately fell in love. And because we do want to create lots and lots of fun and magical memories as Mr. and Mrs., as the lyrics say, we have created our first-ever bucket list. Here, I share the 2011 Bucket List of Mr. and Mrs. Funa, in no particular order:

1. Travel out of the country - maybe Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia or Thailand--I don't mind wherever because it will be my first time, so yay!
2. Go back to Baguio with my Mom - I promised her this last year. Now we need to make sure we stick to that promise.
3. Have gigs again - because WE MISS IT.
4. Eat one foreign dish a month - we love to eat, though my frame will tell you otherwise.
5. Observe quiet time daily - with all the blessings that the Lord has showered us, it's just but right to have a daily communion with Him. And of course, reading His word together strengthens our relationship with each other and with Him.
6. "Re-launch" Our Yellow Room - which is our small business (we sell home decor items). We had to halt "operations" after I had my, um, operation.
7. Have photo taken with a known politician - just for kicks.
8. Check-in overnight at a five-star hotel - again, just for kicks.
9. Get really wasted at home - just the two of us, because we never really drink alcohol.
10.Watch a play.
11. Buy a bike and bike regularly - I'd rather this than jog because I'm lazy that way.
12. Ride the Pasig River ferry.
13. Ride the PNR train - maybe we can also pretend to be in a period movie while chugging along the old, old railroad?
14. Go to Mt. Pinatubo - the adventure seems really cool!
15. Sit-in in a UP class - we hope our prof friend allows us to do this.
16. Watch a John Lloyd movie - simply because we rarely, if at all, see Pinoy films; much more Pinoy mushy films. Again, this is just for kicks.
17. Observe the vow of silence one Saturday - with a Php5 per word penalty fee, the sum of which will be spent for merienda.
18. Attend a well-known festival - we tried Panagbenga but failed; maybe we'll be more fortunate with another festival.

Let's see which ones get ticked and which ones get carried over to next year. Of course, we hope to cross out all 18 items, and we'll do our best to make that happen.

So what's in your bucket list?

2011, i am so ready for you!

I believe I am going to be this happy this year...

For some weird reason, I can really feel that this year is going to be great and full of blessings. You know how it feels when you're so sure that something is going to happen? That's how I feel. It's not just me thinking positively--I feel it in my gut.

Maybe it's because I was able to find fulfillment in most of the goals (if you can call them that) I've set for myself the earlier part of last year. I've been successful in becoming less of a worrywart; I was able to make things happen, and let go of those that I have no control of; I complained less and became more grateful for all the blessings--even the trials--that came my way; and I have learned to trust the Lord more and cast every care I have upon Him. Being able to realize these goals made me more courageous to face this new year. I just need to work on really working for Him, and so this year, Francis and I pray that we be instruments for His glory.

Though I've ticked most items in that list, I still have to work on a few: writing more (what with the additional notebooks I got this Christmas) and taking more photos (I must work on my photo website, which my husband is helping me with). In addition, I have resolved to be more driven this year in everything and anything I do. I am going to do my best in everything I put my heart and mind to. I am going to make more things happen. (Oh, and I shall also devour more books!)

I know this is the year that I'm going to soar high. So 2011, bring it on! I am ready for all the wonderful and magical things you have in store for me.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not. -- Jeremiah 33:3

prepping for the big move

Packing loads and loads of our stuff for the big move-in officially started this holiday season. The first one to get packed: our shoes. All our shoes are now stuffed inside a big balikbayan box, and guess whose pairs took up 99% of the space? Yes, mine. Next up would be all our reading materials and then our clothes. This is gonna be hard work!

I'm down to these pairs for
the next two or three weeks

Francis and I are both nervous and excited about the whole process of moving out from this 60-square-meter pad that became our home for almost two years, and moving in to our smaller unit but a place we can truly call our own. The unit improvement already started last week, which means we already have to start organizing all our stuff to see which ones we should keep, donate, throw and sell.

Yesterday, together with our architect/friend, we canvassed for lighting fixtures, paints and wood at Ortigas Home Depot. Of course, this part got me excited, but we didn't buy yet because we still have to check out other home stores to compare prices.

The many choices for pin lights. We're going for the small ones with LED,
as they are more eco-friendly than CFLs, so yaaay!

Crucial for us when it comes to lighting fixtures are the main lights for the major rooms. I saw these pretty drop lights perfect for the dining area.

The first one looks like a good repro of a Cobonpue piece, which will fit perfectly with our design in mind; the one in the middle looks like a futuristic spider web sans the scary factor; the last one is like a giant ball of candy hanging from the ceiling!

Aren't they nice? Unfortunately, neither of these is The One yet (but if it were down to these three, I think we'd go for the Cobonpue knock-off). Buying this kind of home furnishing is like buying shoes--I need to fall in love with that piece that won't let me sleep until it's in my arms. Good thing we're not really rushing to purchase main lights because installing them won't be necessary until the latter part of the unit improvement, when all the divisions and painting are already done.

So far, this is how our unit is transforming.

Me by our soon-to-be pseudo-walk-in closet

We can't wait for the new year to find us in our new home. We can't thank the Lord enough for this really, really wonderful blessing!!!

holiday ho-hos

Happy holidays from me and Francis!!!

As expected, my favorite season has been busy with Christmas dinners and get-togethers.

Before I took a two-week holiday, my friends and colleagues from work had a simple Christmas dinner at Amici in Megamall. But before I was able to sit down and savor my spinach cannelloni, I had to first do a quick shopping for a few more gifts and, um, a pair of shoes that haunted me until I bought it (more on my recent shoes streak in another entry).


Francis and I spent last year's holiday season all by ourselves holed up in our pad (because it was our first Christmas together), so this year, we spent the Christmas Eve at Francis' place in Novaliches. Despite my bad colds, which almost escalated to fever had I not drank medicine on time, the simple celebration had been nothing but fun!

For a change, we had Buddy's pancit lucban instead of the usual pancit palabok (haha!). My sister-in-law whipped up a delicious carbonara (which Francis, the ever bully big brother that he is, incessantly teased her about). I, on the other hand, made some blueberry cheesecake, which my sis-in-law absolutely loved (thanks, sis-in-law!). Come 12MN, we all gathered 'round the Christmas tree for gift-giving/receiving. Francis and I got personalized mugs with Flat Tops as bonus, a cute yellow alarm clock (I already have a spot for it in mind in our new home!), and a nice cotton tee for him and a shower/body lotion set for me from my sister-in-law. As for hubby's gift, I opened it the night of the 22nd because I'm that excited (I have low EQ, I know)-- it's Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume. I absolutely fell in love with the scent! It's citrusy with hints of light floral--no overpowering sweetness that makes me choke--just sweet enough for my taste. Methinks I'll buy another one when my first bottle runs out. Yay!


I also gave hubby his gift in advance, because he already needed it--a nifty pair of Sanuk Pick Pocket (already his second pair from me!). I like this new pair better, though, because it looks more street-smart than the rugged Kingston.

Kingston vs. Pick Pocket

Anyway, before we left Novaliches on Christmas day itself, we visited my mom-in-law's grave to pay our respects. I bet everyone missed her this holiday season, because she's usually the punong abala whenever there's a special occasion. I missed my grandparents, too, because they used to add cheer to an already cheerful celebration. Oh well, I guess the holidays make us more sentimental this way.

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas celebration, and didn't lose focus on the real meaning of the season--when Jesus came to us to be our Saviour.

Now let's look forward to the coming New Year!

this is my december

The last month of this year seems to be the consolation for everything depressing that happened the earlier part of 2010, and I am very grateful for these blessings because I know the Lord used these to help heal me. As Og Mandino said: “Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.”

So here I am, counting my blessings.

1. Last week, I had a reunion with my best college girl friends, thanks to the non-working holiday. After so many years, the four of us had a fun dinner at Cafe 1771 in El Pueblo, then coffee right after at Cafe Breton in Podium. Six hours of chikahan still ain't enough! It was really terrific seeing friends you've known through the highs and lows of college. It's really great to have reconnected.

2. Real Living December issue is already out, and its pages have not just one, but four of my articles--and they're all about Baguio! Because of this assignment, I experienced my favorite city like I never did before: I was given the opportunity to do an ambush interview with National Artist BenCab, we had a bonding moment over coffee with another known visual artist Ben-Hur Villanueva, I was able to explore other shopping spots for home decorating, and I had the chance to experience the very cozy ambiance of PNKY Bed and Breakfast. It is one of the best Baguio trips I've ever had so far!

3. Aside from RL, my piece on where to bring balikbayan friends and relatives this holiday season is also out in Good Housekeeping December. My photos also accompany my article, and I'm really, really thankful because my prayers to have my photos published have been answered this year.

4. Speaking of photos, Summit's newest addition to its websites, TravelBook.ph, also carries a couple of my photos of Baguio and Bolinao, as well as some of my blog entries on traveling in my other blog. It's just really fantastic!

5.The unit improvement plan for our new nest has finally been approved (after a week of delay). This means that the next few weeks will see the construction of our unit's partitions, etc., and we'll soon start packing our stuff in preparation for our move in by January. It's gonna be a new year in a new home that we can call our own! My husband and I really praise God for this big blessing because aside from finally having our own place (after renting a studio unit for two years), the preparations for the big move have made us closer.

December is really proving to be a great blessing, and I can't wait to add to my list. I hope everyone also has blessings to count!

P.S.
Please grab a copy of Real Living and Good Housekeeping December!

this is what 12 years look like...

Grotti's fare

12 years look like mushroom bruschetta, frutti de mare pasta and triple sausage pizza.

And, well, 12 years also look like these two hungry people who rained on their own anniversary celebration because of their terrible headache, and so they just went straight home right after dinner and slept soundly.

On a serious note, being together for 12 years is just..AWESOME!!! We can't thank the Lord enough for keeping this relationship stronger each year!

busy saturdays

Mi mama strangling me, hahaha!

Since our unit in Sofia Belleve was turned over to us last week, our weekends (and sometimes even our non-working holidays) are now pretty packed with plans and arrangements for our unit improvement. Our architect friend, Renan, has also been busy coming up with layout permutations that can best maximize our small space. Just yesterday, we met again with him so we can submit the (almost) final layout of our unit--floor, electrical and plumbing plans. We're giving it a week for approval and then construction of all the necessary partitions and everything else shall commence. Francis and I are really excited because if everything proceeds as planned, we'll be able to move in to our new nest come the New Year.

We invited my mom to tag along with us yesterday because we know she's kind of excited, too. We showed her our bare unit and the model unit as well so she can better appreciate the new home of her panganay. Teehee! We also showed her the lounge fronting the swimming pool, and I think she seemed happy with what she saw.

Because we finished late with our errand in Sofia, my original plan to cook lunch at home got scrapped. We ended up dining at Chocolate Kiss, which I can't really complain about because it was hubby's treat. Haha!

Hainanese chicken for me and mom

Come the time to settle the bill, we were quite annoyed when the attendant told us their credit card is offline. Before ordering, we actually asked them if they're online and we were told they were. So because our cash wasn't enough, Francis had to find an ATM asap, which left me and mom bawling over because we found the situation really funny. We were already imagining washing all the dishes as punishment for not being able to pay. Yes, it's so shallow but that's how we are, haha!

Mom in between guffaws

While we were waiting for the rain to stop,
mommy got busy checking out the ongoing art class

We weren't able to go home right away because of the downpour, so we waited it out for a while before hailing a cab back to our place. Mom was excited because we told her that we already have a Christmas gift for her, and that we'd be giving it to her that afternoon. We're glad she loves the dress we got for her. We had to give it to her in advance because we know she needs a new one for a wedding. We spared her the trouble of buying it herself.

I'm really happy to see that my mom is proud of us and our new place, even if she doesn't say it. And Francis and I are very much thankful to the Lord for giving us a very wonderful blessing in the form of our own home, considering what we've gone through early this year.