christmas the labski way

It was our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs. Magtoto and we wanted it to be memorable. And it was! We spent it in Talipanan, Puerto Galera. We stayed at the Bamboo House Beach Resort.


It felt different there because it was so quiet, so unlike Whte Beach (although the sand wasn't as fine as the latter). It was the kind of celebration we prayed for --- quiet & romantic.=)


I was even able to take some really great shots! Here are some of my favorite.



After the PG christmas, Gino & I went straight to Pampanga to see my family. It took us 6 hours from PG to Pampanga, 3 hours to get to QC, an hour to have a quick lunch at Mcdo & 2 hours to get to Pampanga. It was really tiring. But when we finally got there, wow, food, food, food! My family prepared a cookout!


Here are some sunset shots I took while we were waiting for the food.

Browse our website to view our other pictures and you'll see how much fun we had!

preparing for baguio

The way we're planning things up, it's as if it's our first trip to Baguio. Well, actually IT IS! As a married couple, that is. We have been there a couple of times but I must say this trip is indeed worth looking forward to. It's our first New Year's eve together! And then minor problems happened. Like where we would stay because every hotel I contacted was fully booked! But with today's technology, of course I found us a place to stay. In short, salamat sa internet. Haha! My hubby must be so proud of me.

I'm listing down the places, hopefully, we'll visit.

1. Bell Church (I have heard so many good things about this place. Aside from it being so serene, they say you can also have your fortunes told.)

2. Cafe by the Ruins (Of course! We were so late the last time we were here. They were about to close already! And we weren't able to take pictures. Sad. I had their hot choco before. Now that I'm a coffee-drinker, I want to try the Ruins Coffee!) Photo courtesy of Aileen Apolo


3. Bridal Veil Falls (If time, weather and our wallets permit, we might be lucky enough to see it.)


4. Dominican Hill, Grotto, Maryknoll Convent and Baguio Cathedral (To say our gratitude to Him for the 2007 labski year!)


5. Botanical Garden (I want to see flowers! And plants! And everything that goes with it!)


6. Pizza/Cafe Volante (I heard they serve delicioso pizzas here at very good prizes.)
Photo courtesy of Aileen Apolo


7. PMA (We both haven't been here & I hope to see it this time.)

8. The Mansion, Wright Park and Burnham Park (Yeah, I know, baduy. Here are the reasons why these are part of the itinerary: I want to take good pictures of the Mansion. Gino hasn't tried horsebackriding yet. And it is only in Baguio that I get do Biking 101. You see, I'm a newbie biker. Blush.)

9. Mines View Park (Just because of the corn and grilled pusit! Oh, yum-yum!)


10. Camp John Hay (Why not take a look at this posh sanctuary.)

11. SM and Session (Baduy ulet. I haven't been to SM Baguio e. I know that isn't an excuse. But here's a good one: It's a must for Gino and me to go there because we have to buy our groceries for the Media Noche! Haha. Nice excuse. And oh! Of course I have to know how it feels like to be in a mall that has no aircon. Lastly, Session Road because it's the ukay haven.)


I'm so excited I can't sleep! Wait. Why are we planning so much about Baguio when Puerto Galera is our first vacation destination? Hahaha! Alright. PG planning tomorrow! Photos posted here (unless otherwise mentioned) and the information on the places courtesy of Juny P. La Putt and GoBaguio!

vacation change of plans

Hear yeh, hear yeh! Gino & I decided to change our vacation plans for this holiday season. We'll instead spend christmas in Puerto Galera & have our new year in Baguio City. The realization suddenly came to me that if we do it that way, we'll save much moolah while spending more time to relax. The Galera stay will be a shorter vacation while the Baguio get-away will be a 5-day break for us.

Anyhow, I need help, you guys. I saw photos of this falls in Baguio City courtesy of this great photographer Jill Lejano.


If any of you knows how to get to this falls, please do message me. Gino & I really want to see this falls and have our photos taken there.

a wedding gift to hernan & jowee

It's the marry month of December once again. For the year 2007, I have 5 friends who are walking down the aisle. I must admit that I feel so kilig! Hearing their plans make me reminisce of my own wedding. My priceless wedding bouquet. Gino's perfect-fitting suit. Our sacred wedding rings. Every detail worth looking back to with an overwhelming joy. It's also flattering to hear them seek my advice on their The Day details. Makes me think of pursuing my dream of becoming a wedding planner. Haha!

On the 18th of this month, Hernan weds Jowee. I knew from the start what I will give them --- a digiscrap of their prenup shot. They had a lot of pictures taken at this garden venue in Pasig City. It was a bit difficult to choose which ones I'd use for their digiscrap. Eventually, I picked 4 shots that stood out. The next thing I did was choose the scrap kit I'd use for it. Since pink is their theme, I came out with this:




I had it printed and framed last night. I am so glad with it's final look! I love the way the three pictures at the bottom seemed to be blown by the wind. And how that pink butterfly sends the illusion of flying towards Jowee. Credits for this scrap: Amy Sumrall_ballerina girl kit , Liz Hutchison_beautifully mondane kit , Erica Mathia_feminineII paperpack , fonts_amano, a yummy apology.

To all friends bound for the altar, this month or next year, best wishes! Keep the fire burning!

Christmas Is In The Air!

It feels like a year since my last post here. I was too busy with a project I had at work & I must say that it drained my creative juices. I would try to start on a scrap but darn, I couldn't begin on even one lay-out. It was so f*5@ing frustrating! But my project ended last thursday already and it was a TGIAW (meaning, thank-God-it's-a-weekend). Oooh, finally. I have started my 2008 calendar. Well, at least for the month of january. Hehe.


My thankies to the following: Aja Abney_jane & bingley papers , Anne Langpap_july pea kit , Scrapdoll_prune chocolatée doodle , Gloria Val Verde_button tin , Tracy Drane_baby journals , font_trubble , font_zapfino.

Also, thankies to 2peasinabucket for inspiring me to make my own 2008 journal. I am so excited to have it printed! Aay, I have to finish it pala muna. A lot of missing pages still. But here's my journal's cover.


Credit for my journal's cover goes to Amy Teets_sun porch kit , ShabbyPrincess_vintage florals , Dnadryad_sweet porcelain elements, Anke Arnold_wire embellishments , Sueli Colbert_my moment kit , Petit Moineaux_tendre moment kit. I also attached one of my favorite scraps entitled Circle of Light.

I hope to finish my February to April calendars tonight. =)

Oh, by the way, today marks our 5th month as Mr. & Mrs. Magtoto. And what a wonderful way to celebrate it by visiting the salon together. Haha. It's one of our guilty pleasures even when we were still single. I must tell you, each day just gets better and better. We've been married for 153 days and life has been sweeter than ever. We pretty much do the same stuff we did when we were still single. Like our food-trips, dvd marathon, shopping, salon visits. There are additional stuffs now though. Like these days, I wake up on weekends with my breakfast in bed. Imagine, my hubby preparing our breakfast! I can still recall those old days when he would tell me how he hates the fact that I don't eat breakfast. And the promise he made that when we get married, he'll make sure I have one everyday. Isn't that sweet!

Contrary to what my married officemates said that "once you're married, you hardly have time to go on out-of-town trips", well my dear friends, Gino and I are counting the days til our first Christmas. We will be spending it in Baguio City!



I heard the weather falls at 13 degrees these days in Baguio. Brrrr... And our first New Year? Of course it has to be special too. We'll spend it in Puerto Galera. I am so excited I just bought my 2piece metallic black bikini. Look at it!

So skimpy! So sexy! I'm still thinking if I'll have the kapal ng mukha to post a picture of me wearing it. Hehehe. (Thanks to Ella Lim for her online bkini store.) Oh dear... It sure will be a New Year with a bang!

scaring the hell out of me

Last night, my hubby and I had to make a difficult decision. We had to choose which movie to watch on TV: The Island, Sleepy Hollow, Shutter or Ghost Ship. All those films were shown at the same time. And our decision --- Ghost Ship. Then during commercial breaks, we switch the channel to The Island. Then back to Ghost Ship. Then back to The Island. (Ghost Ship was shown in QTV while The Island was shown in HBO. That explains why the other had a commercial break). The good thing was that both films finished off earlier. Which gave us more time to watch Shutter.

God. That film scared the hell out of me. There was even a part where I had to hug my hubby and kep my eyes closed! And when I had to use the bathroom, I told him to stay by the door and keep all the lights on! I know my hubby was trying to control his laughter over my kaduwagan. The heck. What can I do. I was really scraed! And guess what, in the middle of a scary scene, the TV and the light in our room went off! Brownout!!! Oooh, the look on my face when my hubby left me alone in bed to switch off the TV. Darn. How in the world would electricity fail in the middle of a scary part of a movie. Was Meralco trying to scare me as well? I remember clinging to Gino tightly as soon as he got back to bed. Until I finally fell asleep.

Haha! Now, remembering what happened last night, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Maybe I was pretending to be scared so I could cling to my hubby so tightly. And then a thought came to my mind. If I were a ghost or a part of a paranormal world, what knid of creature would I be? This, my friends, is the answer.

You Are A Vampire

You have a real thirst for bliss, and you consider yourself a true hedonist. And you're not afraid to walk alone in life, if it means getting what you truly crave. You truly enjoy entrancing people. Not to mention the ensuing pleasures of the flesh. Your tastes have been called decadent and bizarre. You usually give in to your temptations, no matter how primal Your greatest power: Your flawless ability to seduce and charm Your greatest weakness: Human flesh You play well with: Werewolves

What Kind of Monster Are You?

Haha! Can you believe that! A vampire! Well, my teeth explains it.

the nail polish i oh-so miss!

Yeeeey! The semester's finally over. Now I can have a real 1 week break from work. Well, actually, I brought home a few works that need to be done. But, I don't need to go to the office to finish it. I can work on it at home and get more scraps done too! And because I won't go to work, I can also have my nails done! Wow. I can't even remember the last time I wore a colored nail polish. The french tip has been the standard look of my nails just because that's the only color allowed by our school admin. But with the sembreak, I can wear any color!!! And so, I came across this test on nail polish. Haha. Funny, funny, funny.

Your Nail Polish Color is Magenta

How you're unique: You're confident - and you show everyone the true you Why your style rocks: You have the attitude to carry the most outrageous outfits off What this color says about you: "Look at me. I know you want to!"

What Color Nail Polish Best Fits You?

Tomorrow night, while I wait for my hubby, I'll visit that salon near us and have my nails done. I might also have a much needed hot-oil and hair trim. Yipeee!

the joy friendship brings

Here's a scrap of me & my college friends during my wedding.


With our busy lives, we seldom get to see one another. But on special occasions such as each other's weddings, we simply can't miss it. Ohh, memories of our UP days just fill up my mind as I look at this photo. It seemed just like yesterday when we would sit at the Sunken Garden as we giggle over one another's stories. The kilig moments. The heartbreaking stories. The embarassing situations. The class cards. The dreaded professors. The UP Fairs.

This time around, the topics are different. Weddings. Parenting. Jobs. These are mostly the topics whenever we get the chance to meet up. We do reminisce those unforgettable topics too. And we still end up giggling. Haha!

It's amazing how time flies. Really.

girl power!

Found this from one of my favorite blogs. I find it funny and relaxing after a long day at work. You might want to answer it too!

1. Name -> jan
2. Pink - Love it or Hate it? ->love it
3. Signature shade of lipstick, lipgloss, etc. ->shiny shade of pink
4. Do you have a best girl friend? ->yep, i have 2! evelyn & emma, i love you girls!
5. Do you have a woman mentor? ->i guess that would be my mom. now that i'm married, i see myself like her with the way i tidy things up at home, etc=)
6. Are you a woman mentor to someone else? ->i hope. i wish. maybe an inspiration to some girls
7. Tomboy or Princess? ->boyish before. princess now!!! haha!!!
8. Favorite Girl Band ->ooh, i don't think i have any
9. Are you a mom? Do you want to be one? ->im a wife for now. a wife & a mom in 2years
10. Do you and your mom have any rituals? ->nope, we have none
11. Fashion magazines ->cosmo? i read one only when i'm having my nails done
12. Do you have a feel good outfit? do feel good shoes count? ->my feel-good outfit at home would be my white tank top & boyleg undies plus barefeet. my feel-good outfit outside my home would be a pair of jeans, a tank top & flip flops
13. Have you called your grandma or special aunt, or special older lady lately? ->ooops. nope, i haven't
14. Signature Scent? ->right now, i have 2, bath & bodyworks' sweet pea & escada's new green scent
15. Favorite female tv character ->claire bennet of heroes!!! rachel ray too
16. Favorite place to hang out with gal pals?->anywhere we could indian sit & laugh at our exchange of stories
17. Did you ever ditch your girl friends to be with a guy? Do you still? ->never. although i once broke the heart of a friend cuz the guy she liked asked me out (for the record, i turned down the invitation, thank goodness!)
18. Friend you call when you need a laugh? ->evelyn
19. Friend you call when you need a shoulder to cry on? evelyn & emma
20. Have you reminded your friends of how much they mean to you lately? ->oh my god. i have never, in our 16year-old friendship, told them that. i'll do it tonight!

Wow! This girl power thing is not just relaxing. It helped me realize too of the essential things in life. Like calling some dear relatives. Or telling important people how much they mean to you. I suddenly realized how much I miss my 2 bestfriends. Here's a picture of us, I think January of this year, when I had a trial make-up for my wedding.


I hope to hang out with you girls soon!

new scraps

The past weekend was a bit different. I wasn't so glued to my scraps. Because I was so glued to my husband. Hahaha! Quality time, really. Not that we don't have time for each other. But that weekend was different. Maybe because we didn't have any plans. Time was in our hands. We didn't have to hurry things up. We simply enjoyed being together. I gave him a massage saturday noon 'til he fell asleep. Of course I ended up sleeping too. We woke up at 730 in the evening. Would you believe that! We felt so bloated when we woke up. He paid me back a good massage sunday evening. Mmmmhh... No spa could even come close to that.

Anyway, I was still able to make some scraps. I promised some friends & relatives I have something for them. So here goes the sursprises.


My sisters haven't seen most of our wedding pictures so I decided to use this photo. This is officially our first ever family picture. First time that we are all together. Sweet sweet sweet. This photo is priceless. Credits: Karen Lewis_frame freebie , Jana Glueck_embellishments , Mullemaus_yellow & blue kit


That's Len-Len, another cousin of mine who helped us out in our wedding. The scrap says it all. Like me, she's a frequent traveller. But time is more onto her side. Working in a corpo, she gets to go on-leave more often. In a school-setting like mine, you cannot just leave the kids. So when it's vacation time --- take advantage! Credits for this scrap: Gina Marie Huff_flower freebie , Lorrie M_old photographs & memories kit , ShabbyPrincess_vintage florals , Ronna Penner_express yourself kit


Teena is my sister's friend. She is sooo cool that my family has grown to love her too. That's why when Gino & I started to plan for our wedding, without a blnk of an eye I told him right away that I wanted Teena to be our Commentator for our Nuptial Mass. She looked radiant in that vintage dress. I love it so much I want to borrow it from her! Haha. And do you know that Teena gave us a surprise during the reception. She co-hosted it with some friends and sang us a song! Now, that made her a total performer! Credits for this scrap: Mullemaus_yellow & blue kit , Janniscrapdesigns_twinkle twinkle kit , Jana Glueck_glitter frames


That's Terrence, Gino's cute nephew. I took this photo of them in Congo Grill SM Fairview during Father's Day. They both look so cute!!! Credits for this scrap: Sande Krieger_a little pizzazz elements , Annie Vallieres_wet paint kit , Monika69_black shapes elements

That's it for now. I have so many things to attend to. End of the 2nd quarter at work. Meaning, lotsa paperworks to prepare. But I'm still going to find time for scrapping. Promise!

finally, new scraps!

My mouse is busted and I couldn't finish any scraps. That explains why I haven't been posting anything here (except for the campaign materials). Anyhow, here goes my new stuff. I am proud of these new ones. Haha!


But of course, my wedding picture! This portrait was used in the recent Wedding Congress in SM Megamall. It was so flattering when our photographer called us up to inform us our pictures were to be posted in the exhibit. Credits for this scrap: ShabbyPrincess_festival kit , Kate Teague_it's about mom kit , Veronica Ponce_cottage bluff kit


Here's a picture of my cousin Nina in Baguio City, taken in January 2007. Well, I owe her this picture, really. She's been wanting to see this since our vacation. But she hasn't seen it yet 'cause I always forget to email it to her. Hehe. So I decided to make her a scrap. A post-birthday gift for her too. Credits for this scrap: Amy Teets_sun porch kit , Rhonna Farrer_sew scrap kit , Scraps4u_dreaming world kit


To date, this is one of my favorite scraps. I just looooove it! That little girl is an Aeta. I took her picture 2 years ago when my class in Master's went to Zambales for an immersion. Worth posting, I believe! Credits to this scrap: Jolie Papillon_baby scrap kit , Lorrie M_old photographs & memories kit


This is my cousin Dette. She was one of the bridesmaids in my wedding. I must say that she looked really glamorous in this picture. I love her gown and her hair & make-up. Fab!!! Really! Credit for this scrap: stars & flowers felt


Alright. These are the boys in my family. That's my brother Matt (sitting below), my nephews Benjo, Bruce and Brandon. Of course, my husband Gino. This picture was taken in Redbox in Greenbelt during my mom's birthday party. Credits for this scrap: Mary Giles_corkboard, Veronica Ponce_my guy kit


That's one of my favorite cousins, Che-Che. I thought of making her a scrap as a birthday and thank-you gift. You see, she played an important role in our wedding. She was one of our beautiful coordinators (together with my other cousins). Credit for this scrap: Melanie Ann_blog freebie


Last but not the least, a scrap of me with the girls! We were all wearing yellow but I thought having pink as a motif would be nice. And I definitely love how this scrap looks. This was a shot taken in Pampanga, Christmas of 2006. It was a family reunion and we were asked to wear, yes, yellow. Haha! Credits for this scrap: Corina Nielsen_think pink kit , Liz Hutchison_beautifully mondane kit

That's it for now. My mouse is still busted but I'm trying my best to make scraps still. Especially that today's a friday. I have all the free time to make lotsa scraps over the weekend. TGIF everyone!