coronia family holiday postcard

I thought it would be wonderful to share my digital finds with my bosom buddies in college. After all, Christmas is not only about Peace, Love and Joy. It is also about Sharing. And so, I made another postcard ready for printing. Blogmates, here's what I did from Michelle Coleman's Template --- the Coronia Family holiday postcard.


That photo of brothers Alex and Gio is so lovely! Happy holidays blogmates!

holiday postcards

With technology playing a huge part of our lives these days, sending out holiday postcards to our loved ones is very rare. Instead, to express our holiday greetings, we would normally send text messages, emails or chats. With 3G nowadays, video conference is even possible.

This 2008 holiday season, my husband and I thought of greeting our loved ones the old-school way. And these postcard templates come in handy! Other than its artistic designs and layouts, what I love most about it is that it's for free! After inserting our photos and adding a personal greeting, I'm having them printed this weekend at Picturebooks in EDSA Shangri-la Mall. Click each photo to see a bigger view.

Postcard 1

Postcard 2

Heartwarming postcards, right? Grab the templates HERE!

coffee break ver. 1.46

A warm hug. A child's shy smile. My favorite scent. A cold glass of water. My husband professing his love for me. A student calling out my name sweetly. A sincere text message from a friend. My favorite song played on my player. A sudden rush of inspiring dreams. A quiet time for praying.

Come to think of it. There are a million reasons for us to smile. And these reasons are the ones we almost always overlook. Most of the time, we only need the simplest things in life for us to wear that priceless smile.

designing a christmas wreath

Designing a Christmas wreath has always been in my mind. At the malls, I am amazed to see how stylists conceptualize its design and colors. At Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City, I saw a lot of export-quality Christmas wreaths which I wanted to grab right away to hang at home. However, I thought designing my own would be challenging yet fun and rewarding. So how does one create a DIY Christmas wreath? Here's how I made mine.


Materials Needed:
- wreath of any size (made of plastic garland or fine twigs)
- green Christmas balls (frosted, matte, glossy)
- green flower and twigs
- silver twigs
- other green and silver ornaments
- glue gun
- glue stick
- Christmas lights (optional)

How To Do It:
1. Think of the design you want and conceptualize it. Do you want it monochromatic or of contrasting colors? Do you want it modern or old school?
2. Use only a variety of 1-2 color tones. In this wreath, I used metallic green and silver.
3. Scatter the bigger ornaments on the wreath and style it whichever way you want. When you're happy with what you see, get your glue gun and stick the ornaments carefully.
4. Get the smaller ornaments and style it around the wreathe. You may put it on the bigger ornaments to create depth. Stick them when you're ready.

Peso Power:
- 15" diameter Christmas wreath: FREE! (Old wreathe of my MIL)
- Christmas ornaments: PHP 478.50 (SM Megamall Department Store)
- glue gun: PHP 67.25 (Ace Hardware)
- glue stick: PHP 35.00 (Ace Hardware)

WREATH'S TOTAL PESO POWER : PHP 580.75

If you want Christmas lights on your wreath, put if before you style your project with your ornaments. Merry Christmas everyone!

the belle de jour craze

I really tried making my own 2009 planner. I even had a few pages done, complete with inspiring quotes to get me through the coming days. However, after much contemplating on the expenses I'll have with a customized planner (printing and binding fees), I realized it will take some amount off my thin wallet. With the Belle De Jour craze present in the blogosphere, I decided to join the fad instead! It was less expensive too than having a planner customized.


Shown above is my Belle De Jour 2009 planner which I bought last Sunday at Powerbooks Megamall. The minute I took it's protective plastic cover off it, I scanned every page of the planner, making sure I made the right decision. After seeing how much of a treasure I was holding, the guilt feeling of not finishing my customized planner left me.

It's funny how obsessed I am with it. I can't wait to write on it and use the discount coupons!

*I am half-way done with my 2009 desktop calendar. That one will go to the printing shop next month, promise. Will be posting it here soon!

little angels

It took me and my girlfriends weeks before we could come up with a title for our upcoming Christmas party with the orphans. As anticipated, we decided to call it Mga Munting Anghel, or simply Little Angels in English.

Credits here.

Except for 2 of 3 games, everything is all set. My other college buddy asked her mom to shop at Divisoria yesterday for the gift items we would be distributing out for the kids. And for 15 pieces of these items: box of crayons, pencils, coloring books and puzzles, bath towels, shirts, slippers, santa's hats and loot bags --- her mom purchased them all for a Peso Power of 3,079.50! We have also finalized the food to be served during the party. We'll have McDonald's meal and a gallon of Selecta Ice Cream, all for a Peso Power of 5,200 for 35 pax. That leaves us some PHP4,000++ to buy prizes for the games and and grocery items for the orphanage!

I am so excited to see the smiles of these kids! I am sure we adults will be happier for them. To all my friends and my friends' friends volunteering themselves and their wallets --- I'm wishing you a basket full of blessings this coming new year!

catching up

After a really tiring yet an ultimate fun Leadership Training Camp with 76 class officers of our school, I am back in the city! I have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of posts to make. As a teaser, I am enumerating the upcoming posts I will be sharing with you:

1. updates on our Christmas Party with the orphans
2. Christmas postcards for our ninongs and ninangs ready for printing
3. my 2009 planner-slash-journal
4. Christmas DIY decors
5. our Leadership Training Camp photos
6. and of course, our coffee break for the week

Now, didn't I just spoil the fun by letting you know what's coming? I can't help it. I'm just too excited!

sean covey live in manila

Sean Covey, the man behind the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, is coming to Manila, Philippines for a 2-day teen chat. A book that drew inspiration from Stephen Covey's best-selling 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean's version is directed to teenagers.

Reedley International School is one of the few schools in our country that uses Covey's version in teaching Life Skills. 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is every Reesian student's bible his whole Reedley life. And wouldn't it be great to see the book's author in person! With our school working with Ateneo De Manila and the Philippine Daily Inquirer in bringing Sean Covey in the Philippines, the faculty, staff and students of Reedley gets to attend the said event!


Click the photo to see details of Sean Covey's Teen Chat sessions on November 25-26, 2008. For ticket details, call the Ticketnet.

training at hotel pontefino

It's going to be another long and lonely weekend for me and my husband. Another Leadership Camp is happening beginning tomorrow and I will be one of the facilitators. The training will take place at Hotel Pontefino in Batangas City.


I have been to the hotel twice but never to facilitate and prefect kids and teenagers. This is going to be a tough job because of two things: first, I need to act as a peer-adult the whole time. No horsing around. No skimpy attire. No chance to wander in the area. Second, it is another night without my husband beside me. The first time it happened was during our school's summer outing at Mimosa in Clarkfield.

Although I see it as a challenging weekend, my husband is helping me look at things positively. As a mature adult amongst these young and eager minds, I get a once in a lifetime chance to discover myself more.

But yeah, I'll still bring a bag of separation anxiety with me.

printable freebies

Who would have thought a tiny mosquito could make me step out of my office for 30minutes, affecting my counseling sessions with my kids. It bit me on my left cheek which freaked me out. The end result, the maintenance crew in our school sprayed an insecticide and I was asked to leave my office while the chemical settled. What is left for me to do? Search the internet for some printable freebies worth sharing to my blogmates! Click on the links to have your share!

To-Do List and Gift Tags from Patricia Zapata

2009 Calendar from Mibo

Chocolate Bar Wrappers from Rachael Ray

creating destiny

Yet another post to share with the blogosphere my thought-provoking YM shoutout:

It is in the
SMALL DECISIONS
you and I make everyday
that help
CREATE our DESTINY.

reaching a crossroad

As stated in my previous post, my photo buddy Carlos and I have reached a crossroad in our upcoming photo exhibit. We would now like the blogosphere to help us decide on an interesting title for the said event. Please do accomplish the form below. We provided 3 choices. But, knowing you all have the knack for words, you may suggest your ideas too!

Click here to take our Online Survey

coffee break ver. 1.45

Hello world! What a lovely morning this is! I received 2 good news. First, I got new funds in my paypal account. And second, our 13th month pay is reflected in our ATM payroll accounts today!

What's next? Christmas shopping! The other day, my husband and I were updating our Christmas Gift List. With a number of loved ones and a big group of friends and godchildren, Christmas shopping can truly be challenging. One has to consider several factors such as one's budget, the inflation rate and the personality of the gift-receiver. Whatever factors a gift-giver considers, what's important is for us to avoid the Christmas rush and enjoy the feeling of sharing one's blessings this holiday season. Merry Christmas blogmates!

Credits: Amy Teets_sun porch kit

the beauty of nature

Every person I know is aware of my love for nature. It is not surprising that the beauty of nature is what my friend Carlos and I will feature in our photo exhibit in January of next year.

For days now, however, we have reached a crucial part of our upcoming debut in photography. We have yet to finalize the title of our exhibit! Yikes! I seem to have lost touch of my literary skills. Other than Beauty of Nature, I can't seem to come up with a shortlist of interesting titles to choose from. I do have some phrases whispering in my boring head, but I find them a bit corny.

The Beauty of Nature. Heaven on Earth. Landscape and Seascape. Nature's Hues. Blogmates, help me out! What should we call our photo exhibit?

home furnishings

The other weekend, my husband and I entertained the possibility of enjoying condo living because of its practicality and conduciveness. A stone's throw away from where we are living now was a condo unit which offered amenities suited to our needs at a really affordable price. The only thing left for us to think of was choosing home furnishings for it.

In choosing home furnishings such as room furnitures, home accessories and light fixtures, I see the importance of searching the internet for a decor buying guide. With a decor buying guide acquainting you with the basics of home furnishings, you definitely will be able to compare the essentials of functionality and artistry. In condo living, space is a relevant matter and choosing each furniture is of high priority. But you wouldn't want to sacrifice creativity and craftsmanship, right?

A home is a resting place where one can wear her hair down and simply be herself. While it matters to have a happy and loving family dwell in it, having furnitures that suit each individual's personality is also vital.

witnessing obama's induction

On the 20th of January 2009, the United States of America will inaugurate its 44th president. Such a historic event it would be. A lot of individuals would definitely want to witness that. It's a By-Invitation-Only event and what a wonderful news it is to learn that 2 Filipino students were invited to witness the significant event!

Anna Marie Liwanag and Paul Michael Thomas Cruz, graduates of Reedley International School, must have been in such high-spirits the very moment they read the letters from the University Presidential Inaugural Conference (UPIC). Rubbing elbows with Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the most powerful nation --- what else can these youth ask for?

Read the full story HERE.

delighted and elated

This is how I look like this Thank-God-It's-Friday. Delighted. Elated. Beaming with a huge, bright smile!

Imagine opening your mailbox only to discover another paid blog opportunity for $9.00. On my first paid post, I earned $10.00 for writing an unbiased entry about candle-making! According to my research, that isn't so bad for a starter like me.

It pays to be patient. It pays to be diligent. It pays to be untiring. For in the end, the harvest is abundant. Like what my Yahoo Messenger shoutout used to says, "There is no One Giant Step... But there are a LOT of LITTLE STEPS."

Happy Friday blogmates!

engaging creative ideas

When it rains, it pours. This saying must have been used gazillion times before but yes, I am using it. Allow me to, as I have been busy engaging myself with an outpour of creative ideas.

It started with a stressful Tuesday when I had to attend to a number of meetings, accept leading committees for 2 major projects and my sisters bugging me with endless text messages. I felt my shoulders getting really heavy that I wanted to go home and take a nap. And then I thought of being proactive, to not let things affect and ruin my day. So how did I handle the stress? Search the net for inspiring digiscrap projects!

Digiscrap blogs. Digiscrapping sites. Digiscrap online stores. Name it, I might have been there. And the end result? Aside from destressing myself, I was flooded with digiscrapping ideas! Come to think of it, in a few more weeks, we'll start another year. Why not make a customized 2009 desktop calendar and my own journal! If I haven't been too keen in updating my posts here, still leave your comments and I would get back to you. In the meantime, I'll be spending more minutes and hours with my best buddy, Mr. Adobe Photoshop. Below is a finished project I found truly inspiring. I hope I finish making something like this.

Journal courtesy of Two Peas in a Bucket

coffee break ver. 1.44

There is something about Reality Shows that keeps me glued on the television. It must be the overwhelming display of emotions or the freudian slips that are evident in every episode. Every reality show is an opportunity for us to observe the human behavior. For school counselors like me, seeing these people be themselves on boob-tube is a lucky chance for us to understand human nature.

Beauty and the Geek. Survivor. The Ultimate Fighter. These are my favorite reality shows. What's on your list?

Credits: Kate Hadfield_in the pink kit

life is a series of struggles

In preparation of my first photo exhibit, I revisited all the albums in my computer, searching for worth-displaying pictures. Carlos, my other photography buddy at work who will be featured at the exhibit the same week as me, thought of having Nature as our main theme. While I searched for photos showing nature's great landscape, I was surprised to see this shot I took of my brother in Grande Island, Subic. I used the blue sky as the backdrop. And as I marveled on it, I thought it would be nice to scrap it!

Credits here.

Journaling:
Life is a series of struggles to those who whine
and a box of presents to those who appreciate.

Sending shoutouts to my blogmates who congratulated me on my upcoming debut photo exhibit. Thankies dear friends! Hugs to you all. Woohoo!

kiko off the shores

As expected, Kiko Rustia was voted out last night as the Chalam Tribe decided in GMA 7's Survivor Philippines. And it brought diverse reactions .

Betrayal. That was the main plot last night. The twist of events may be believed as the greatest betrayal in Philippine TV. My mobile phone kept vibrating last night as my brother ranted over how Kiko's former tribemates in Naak, Chris and Kaye, used their emotions rather than their minds allowing Marlon, the epitome of nastiness in the show, sway them. If you read blogs now, people have been cursing Marlon for his awfully disgusting attitude shown on national TV. Read what happened last night HERE.

I can't wait for Marlon to be voted out. I am curious if he will have regular TV appearances just like the other castaways. He may be offered a slot in a drama series as a villain, which would obviously be a natural thing for him. In the meantime, while everyone goes psycho over Marlon, my husband will treat me at Taco Bell because I won our bet on who gets voted out. Hehehe!

tagged:: friendship flower

I was tagged by Rocks with this vintage looking Friendship Flower! Thankies and a big hug for you dearie.

This tag is all about “FRIENDSHIP OFFERING” to someone whom you know, to someone whom you already knew or will know in the future, globally.

::: Start copying here:::

Here are the rules for this Tag:

1.) Copy the badge and put it on your Blog.
2.) Link back with whoever passed you this Tag.
3.) Spread this Tag to at least 7 or more Bloggers who you think you are friends with.

”And lovely are the blossoms
That are tended with great care,
By those who work unselfishly
To make the place more fair.

And like the garden blossoms,
Friendship’s flower grows more sweet
When watched and tended carefully
By those we know and meet.
And if the seed of Friendship
Is planted deep and true
And watched with understanding,
Friendship’s flower will bloom for you. “

Blogmates, feel free to grab the tag!

work for it

This is my current Yahoo Messenger shoutout and I thought of sharing it with the blogosphere:

Anything in life worth having is worth working for.

I just found it online and felt it is so timely for me to come across the line. With the recent property my husband and I discovered over the weekend, this quote is truly very inspiring.

popcorn weekend

It was a long week for me. I had to help a lot of kids with their issues and cases. Quite draining, I would admit. To ensure I pick up pieces of myself, this weekend will be a slack-mode for me. Gotta have that bag of popcorn in the grocery. Gotta catch up on my CSI NY dvd too.

Happy popcorn weekend everyone!

Clipart credits here.

peace

On the last day of October, my husband and I went to Clark Pampanga. We were planning to look for some stuff to buy for our home. We also thought that would be a good time to see new and unfamiliar places. And look what I found! An indeed unfamiliar resting place --- for dogs!

Credits here.

coffee break ver. 1.43

Yesterday, Barack Obama changed world history after being elected as the first African-American president of the US. Although I do not know him personally, I can bet all the money I have in my account that his monumental presidential win is by far, his most celebrated milestone in life.

A newly-grad's first paycheck. A brilliant idea. A warm hug from an orphan. A memo stating your promotion. A first paid blog post. Your exchange of wedding vows.

I can list down several events in my life which I consider milestones. But the very recent one, was the invitation I got to have an exhibit of my photos. Being a wannabe photographer who has no formal photography training, this exhibit which will be held in January 2009, will be a very significant moment of my life. This is my debut, a historical event in my life which I would be happy to document for our future children.

Credits: Anne Langpap_citrus freeze kit
Shabby Princess_promise collection

the story of the dizzy wife

November 03 '08. Monday. 6:00 P.M.
As soon as I got home, I checked on the chores I needed to do. The very second I picked up something on the floor, I felt my world tremble. Was it our unit trembling or was it my head? Not wanting to make a big fuss out of it, I continued fixing the kitchen. And then I felt my temples throbing and my world spinning. I went straight to bed, texted my husband I was feeling dizzy and closed my eyes. As I closed my eyes, I felt my bed and everything around me spinning. I wanted total darkness and a deafening silence.

Two hours after, in panic, my husband got home, hoping I was feeling better. I wasn't. I was feeling even worse. To make it worst, he couldn't touch me. A light touch from him feels as if he was shaking me. I didn't want any movement, any noise, any light. I was sweating and my feet felt cold. And then I threw up, everything I had for lunch. I felt so sick I wanted to cry. My husband kept telling me he'll bring to the hospital. But I didn't want. I said a quiet night in deep slumber is what I need.

November 04 '08. Tuesday. 2:00 A.M.
I woke up with a dry throat. I hugged my husband and told him I was thirsty and he stood up right away. While I drank a cold glass of water, he touched my face and asked how I was feeling. I smiled and told him except for a slight headache, I was feeling so much better.

We both went back to sleep until we woke up around 10 in the morning. I texted my boss I will be absent as my husband did the same to his boss. Because I was feeling better (except for the slight headache), I sat infront of the computer and clicked on the Adobe Photoshop logo. My husband got mad, telling me I should rest and refrain from doing things that would strain my eyes. So I went back to bed and listened to my phone's playlist. Bored, I asked him to prepare food.

So that was how we spent the day. Eating.

November 05 '08. Wednesday. 9:30 A.M.
Almost everyone at work was asking me how I was. Some were even teasing me that I may be pregnant. Naah. Such dizziness is way too far from being pregnant, plus --- I just had my period. It was a different case. And Mix, a colleague, upon hearing about my dizziness and throwing-up spell, right away concluded that what happened to me was a clear sign of Astigmatism. He said he experienced exactly the same thing some years back. As soon as he said this, I texted my cousin and scheduled an appointment with him this Saturday at his clinic in St. Luke's.

As I blog now, my vision is getting blurry and cloudy. My forehead is throbbing too. Oh well. If wearing eyeglasses would truly correct this, I wouldn't mind. Really.

food for the soul 11.2008

The grand essentials of happiness are:
something to do, something to love
and something to hope for.

brighter days ahead

Moses. Aristotle. King Arthur. Edgar Allan Poe. Cher. Marilyn Monroe. Aside from all being famous, what do these men and women have in common? They were all orphans.

Wikipedia defines orphan as a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and are not able to bring him up. Yesterday, my husband and I finally got to meet the children of Tahanan ng Pagmamahal, an orphanage under the care of the Light of Jesus community.

Shown above is a photo of my husband warmly welcomed by the children. The minute they saw us, these children gave us sincere hugs and showed a lot of excitement. Each of them has a sad and depressing story to tell. Looking at their eyes, you would surely know how much they long for a family who would take care of them. The few minutes we stayed at their house made them carry cheerful smiles. As we bid them goodbye, they all shouted "Ingat at balik po kayo! (Take care and come again.)"

Tahanan ng Pagmamahal is located at Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig City, just a few blocks away from Valle Verde Country Club. I am inviting you to pay them a visit. Leave me a message so I can give you their address. Your mere presence gives them hope that there are brighter days ahead of them.

paypal funds

I am greeting the blogosphere with a huge smile today! Ask me why, quick! It's because... My paypal account has new funds! Big hugs and thankies to the few opps I get in this paid blogging business. Well, few opps is better than not getting anything at all. I better be more consistent in blogging and bidding too. Woohoo!

christmas countdown

With the All Soul's Day over, which holiday comes next? It's almost Christmas! And how many more days to sit beside the Christmas tree? Check out this cute countdown I found.

Get this widget!