Pasta Sunday

I love cooking but I am not a great one. I FAIL most of the time :P I have accepted that fact about me but I'm not giving up :) So today I cooked 2 pastas ... 

         ... spaghetti for the boys

        ... aglio olio for me and hubby

So we all ate and then this happens ... this seldom happens when I'm the one who cooks lol!

 I'm a happy mommah! Thanks to my friend Anna for her  Aglio Olio recipe and the pine seeds that came with it.  I did it =)

May isa nga indi ma kuntento sa isa ka pasta :D 

worth remembering

I checked my calendar and looked at my activities this past week. I wanted to be proud of myself for having done a lot for the world. But when I really thought about it, the things that made me smile were not the ones listed in my calendar. These were the simple things I did randomly. Things that were not urgent but I did them anyway. 

... wanting to make someone happy.

... seeing Jaime Oliver's very effortless way of making a poached egg and attempted to do it too, failing miserably haha! I ate 3 poached eggs today because I didn't wanna waste eggs :) 

... crackle painting my nails.

... discovering my two darlings bonding non-verbally. 

... Okay,  to have their hair cut is was my planner. But the burgers + caramel sundae date? Definitely not! It happened after a debate with Miguel lol. 

 Thank God for  providing me with all the time to do the things that are so simple but worth remembering.... (that's why I blogged about them!)  Hope we all have a bright and happy week ahead! 

Alphabet Cookies + Robin's Nest DT + true love exists

I'm trying to make it a habit to cook or bake something special on weekends (and by weekend, I mean Friday, Saturday, Sunday!) So for this weekend it's alphabet cookies, using this recipe. 

I was surprised it was that easy but then I was also shocked to realize how sinful could 1 piece of letter M get. The amount of sugar and butter we need to make it! Aaaaak! But then again, when I took it out of the oven, and smelled its deliciousness, my knees weakened. Add to that the joy felt when I saw the boys excitement! 

I ate two. Okay three. 

Now these are what I call just-had-cookies kinda smiles! BURP! :)

So that's how my weekend started and it's not even halfway yet, but I've got another great news: I am STILL a designer chick for Robin's Nest! Yehey! Thank you for the trust! I am excited to be designing with new team and some of the returning DTs as well. Full reveal of the New Design Team line up is HERE. 

Here are some of my favourite creations for Robin's Nest.... 

I'm not done yet! Because exactly a year ago, my youngest sister got married and that made me cry. I cried because I was too happy! Their wedding proved that true love exists! Happy anniversary Che2 and Victor. I love you both to bits! 

Okay. That's all and thanks for reading my long post with lots of exclamation points!!!!

Don't forget!

I was having a really nice morning when my temper failed me (but I won't bore you with the details) and it was almost impossible to smile again. Until I saw this cup on the table -- with a teabag. Obviously, husband had tea, finished, put his cup on the table (instead of  putting it away or better yet washing it. But I swear this isn't the reason why I got pissed. LOL!) 

I always nag when I see cups being just left on the table EXCEPT for this one.  Because it literally made me feel better when I... 

1. refilled the cup with a steaming water. 

2. took a sip. Umm. Chamomile nice!

3. went to the kitchen and took a coaster. 

4. sat down in my happy place for awhile and enjoyed the tea, noticed and appreciated the cool "daddy shirt" prints... 

5.  "Aha! Blog post!" (forgetting for a while about the numerous posts I already have scheduled because once in awhile we just have to share about any-spur-of-the-moment-thing!) 

So here I am posting a reminder that Father's day is on June 16 this 2013. I hope I have helped you with this little reminder. Because you have helped me be in the mood again :) Thank you very much! 

And by the way, I used A Beautiful Mess and Pictapgo to edit the photo above. These two apps are my recent favorite of all! They make my life easy and fun :) Go check it out! 

 Pictapgo filters (there's more actually. these are the only filters that could fit in one iphone screen, you have to scroll like 4 more times!)

 original iphone photo

That's all for today.. I will be back soon with some Father's day cards and mini albums. By the way, I just thought, everyday should be father's day, mother's day, etc day... but then I think it's good to have one special day to celebrate so that gift sellers and card makers like me can earn a living, ya know :P

Have a good mood this weekend! Haha! :)

five-in-one

What a fun Saturday morning that was! My original plan was just to take a photo of Luke Zion's diaper cake for the shoppe (Thank you Mare Cathy for thinking of ThoughtfulCrafts when you need anything crafty!)  Click here for more photos of my diaper cakes!

But the boys followed along with their bikes....

I found myself getting them involved with the "shoot" ... Sorry I badly suck at photo editing. I wish that soon, I will know how to photoshop! :P

And this face is what you get when you force your son to take off his helmet and model too when what he really wants is to go biking... 

Husband likes to shoot models so I gave in to his request hahahaha!

 Lastly, the part that I love the most --- our unplanned family photo! Love! Love! Love it so much.

See what we have accomplished that day:

1. diaper cakes photos - ✔
2. banners photos - although not so clear ones and the model's face looked a bit funny - ✔
3. bike ride - ✔
4. husband spent a day photographing a model (and for FREE!) - ✔
5. family photo (BONUS!) - ✔ 

Thank You God for days like these. When all we need to do is enjoy your goodness and provision --- a nice park just across the block, hobbies we enjoy (crafting for me, photographing for hubby, biking for the kids). And thanks too for Mae for being my sidekick in everything :) 

weekend -- i miss you already.

Saturday. Hubby and I checking out the newly renovated Fair Price Finest. It's so nice and cozy.  We got carried away with the ambience that I grabbed a couple of cheese... and had wine when we got home =) 

I think my son sees too much scrapbooking, he made one for his uncle Jong2.  Happy birthday brother! Prayed for you in the Eucharist and ---  we all love you. 

Sunday. Hubby had a Nikon event and Mae went out (off day) with friends. So it was just me and the boys. I wanted to prepare or bake something to make it a bit special. But I have been quite busy these days so I was "unprepared".  As I rummaged through the cupboard I saw cones, but there's no more ice cream. Good thing we got Oreos! Solved =) 

My mind was already set to give the boys my 100% attention so I had no plans to craft that day.  But I don't know .... one cutting let to another LOL! (and surprisingly, the two became so well-behaved and not so kulang-sa-pansin) I managed to make 4 accordion albums in between Mommy duties :)  Thank you for being so considerate boys haha!

So happy with what I made that when Mae got home, I just challenged myself to make more... 

10 cards to be exact =) 

Wordless Wednesday: Echo Convivence 2013

i love this weekend

Enjoying the two weekends in a row that we are neither going to the mall, nor going somewhere far and crowded. Just spending quiet (hmmnn not really, it's mostly noisy in fact because where can you find a home with a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old that is so quiet?) simple, relaxed time at home. I really really really love these kinds of weekends. Just that I am too forgetful *grin* 

Here are the things I love about this weekend...

• the reality that my mother is in the hospital now but she is getting better, and I worry not about anything. God is in charge. 
• going home from work with hubs
• movies I watched with hubs
• these brownies that I baked and I am proud of because it is so yummy! cross my heart! =) 
• Palm Sunday 
• eating together at the dining table with my son leading the prayer. precious.
• super duper quality time with the boys
• photos that hubby took which I can't wait to play with
• playtime at the park
• and the challenge of finishing the last 10 pages of this album --- my class at Made With Love this April!  

{Noteworthy}

In this class, you will try your hands on masking, misting, embossing, punching, distressing, lots and lots of stamping and go home with 20 pages of 8x8 layouts! Work with a complete freshly released Teresa Collins paper and accessories pack, a Maya Road 8x8 ring binder with page protectors, and a lot lot more of yummy scrapping goodies selected just for your precious Everyday Moments album!   *alphas and washi tapes not included.

Here are some sneaks of what's inside... love the colors, the stamps (I even got emotional a number of times while scrapping. I put my whole heart into it especially the the journaling and the thoughts... made me realize how much I value my family, and that time with them is precious... more precious than any tangible thing in this world). I love this class so much! I hope you will too... 

... gotta go and enjoy the remaining 2 hours of this weekend... love and happiness be to your home as well!   :) 

courageous and humbled

... that's what I hope to have become after our community's weekend retreat. Nothing compares to the joy and conviction I feel in my heart after God talked to me strongly and concretely about the two things... the two questions I have been carrying in my heart for so long. One is the question about being open to life. Hubby and I very much wanted to have another baby but there was fear for so many reasons. Another burden is about this particular person I consider my cross  --- I simply dislike her for reasons I cannot share out loud to protect her. All these time I thought it is her fault for being like this and like that. In this world's point of view, she is really crazy and irritating. The kind of irritation that will make you cry. She is my cross and I bet she knows because I feel that she does things to prove something to the world. But then this weekend I realized that God loves her as much as He loves me. And my judging and hating her is a form of slavery to sin. This sin brings me farther and farther away from Him. So today, I am happy to say that I will let that person be. In fact, I am praying that she will be truly and genuinely happy in whatever endeavor she wants to take. That she will be victorious and see how much she is loved by God. I pray too for myself. That I will stop looking at her and fix my eyes on Christ instead. He was crucified for the sins He didn't do. And just like Christ, I too will be resurrected :)

So now, what?

Nothing. I need not do anything. God does not need me to be number 1. I don't need to be a winner. To be cool to be a super woman. To be this and that. God loves me just the way I am. No labels. No titles.

I repeat. God loves me. Even when I suck. And he badly wants me to experience that kind of LOVE. So that all those fears will go away. Because He loves me and will take care of me. Because His will for me is the best and He knows what he is doing. I must not doubt. I must trust. I must relax.

That's why today, I lay down my concrete steps:

1) Hubby and I are open to life. In His grace.
2) I will always always pray for my cross. Kiss my cross. Adore my cross. It's very difficult I know but I can do it with God's help.

Oh how I praise and thank God for this FREEDOM.

... our community "class picture" I love to look at everyone's faces =)

... serious at scrutacio. 

... our dear cantors. Someday Miguel will be one of them. Amen.

... my treasures.

... Josephine and I playing while our responsibles and co-responsibles are serious and stressed haha!

... Theresa, so happy you were able to join us! 

... what a precious moment.

... w, Ate JJ! Migs couldn't smile coz his mouth is full! 

... love love love this moment at the table. The young ones taking turn to play while Kuya happily obliged =)

And what's a convivence without FOOD? Two days and two nights of diet-free buffet! Oh my! 

That's all! Until next time =)