Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! The holidays are in full swing, so see you next year!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A wedding by the sea

My college friend Kendal Candice married the love of her life at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza last Monday. The ceremony took place in a garden under the coconut trees, overlooking the sea. It was an afternoon bathed in sunlight, with a cool breeze blowing in our faces. They were blessed with such good weather!

Here I am with my date, waiting for the ceremony to start.

The moment I saw KC walking down the aisle, I burst into tears. I am such a crybaby. But I was relieved I wasn't the only guest weeping!

Isn't the bride gorgeous? And that dress! The crystals on the straps glittered like diamonds in the sun.

The couple's vows made me cry all over again. Beautiful, heartfelt words were exchanged. I was focusing on trying not to bawl like a baby, so no pictures of the couple under the wedding arch, sorry!

I did get this lovey shot as the newlyweds were welcomed by confetti after the recessional! Can you spot the crescent moon?

Cocktails were served before dinner. I was so jealous of Marco and his margarita - no alcohol for me because I'm still nursing little moon.

And here I am with college friend Thea - one of KC's flower girls! You read it right. Instead of assigning little girls, KC got her best buddies as her flower girls! What a crazy but fun idea! (Photo grabbed from Thea, shot by her hubby.)

The reception was held in the Davao Ballroom of Sofitel. The couple got Nyoy Volante to serenade the guests while we ate. The hubby and I didn't stay until the end though, because...

All this time, our trooper of a daughter was in the hotel with our household helper G. The event was an adult affair, so we couldn't bring Ally with us. We couldn't leave her at home either, because we didn't know how long we'd be away. I planned to leave her and G at Gymboree in the hotel, but surprise surprise! It was Gymboree's Christmas party so they were closed! Argh! I didn't know what to do, and was about to panic. Thank God for calm husbands!

We found out there was a playground just beside the garden. That's where Ally and G stayed during the ceremony, and you can bet the little one had fun! We could see her from afar, climbing up and down the steps of the playhouse. Here's a photo of the playground before the event started - that's our baby holding the pink and white balloons.

During cocktail hour, we snuck out to the car so I could nurse the little one. Sofitel doesn't have a nursing station. :(

After Ally had her fill, we whisked them away to Le Bar, one of the swanky hotel restaurants, just above the popular Spiral. I ordered fries and pumpkin soup for the little one, and prayed she'd be preoccupied enough so her daddy and I can proceed to the wedding reception.

Here we are sneaking back to the event. We got to the ballroom just in time - the reception hadn't started yet.

By 7:45pm, Ally had had enough of being away from me for too long, so she decided to cry her lungs out. Haha. Great timing, as we had already finished dinner when we got the text from G. Whew!

This is the first event we've attended without the little one clinging to us. I'm glad to say it was a success! Little moon was well-behaved the entire five hours, and only cried and asked for mommy when it was almost time to leave. Little trooper!

Oh, and this is the first time I've ever posted a photo of my outfit! I wore a pink and white maxi dress from Hip Culture, a beaded headband from SM Department Store, and faux pearls and rhinestones from Forever 21. And for the first time in a long time, I didn't wear flats! I wore these comfy wedges from Celine.

What a fun event! Thank you KC and Manny for having us!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Late night cupcake surprise



Just when I thought I didn't have fresh material for Scrumptious Saturday, my cousin dropped by unexpectedly last night after dinner. Look what she brought me! My favorite Berries 'n Cream cupcake from Sonja's, and a chocolate cupcake I've never tried before. Eeeeek! I regret eating three pancakes before dinner.

 

The new Flickr app

Have you seen the updated Flickr app for iOS devices yet? It's lovely! The improvements make browsing through gorgeous photos easier and even more enjoyable on your iPhone or iPad! It reminds me of Instagram, where your contacts' new photos are displayed on the home screen. But unlike Instagram, you can quickly browse through a person's feed just by swiping right there on the home screen - no need to tap on your contact's name to get to his page. Also unlike Instagram, you can zoom in on the photos in the Flickr app! Very cool.

Check out the new Flickr app in the App Store - it's free! And come see my Flickr account here if you're interested!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Collectible tin cans from Egg

I am loving Egg/Regalong Pambahay's ongoing promo: for an accumulated purchase of Php2000, you get a pretty tin can in a shabby chic design. They give you a sticker card when you purchase an item. A Php400 purchase gets you a sticker. Collect five stickers and you get a tin can. Collect 10 stickers for a watch. I think 15 stickers get you an umbrella, but I'm not sure.

We did some of our Christmas shopping at the Regalong Pambahay outlet store, so I was able to collect 10 stickers. Of course I chose two tin cans instead of the watch. There are two designs to choose from, so I got them both. I'll never get tired of cupcakes.

I love my cupcake tin boxes! So adorable! Eeeeeek!

 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Chic Custaroons

What a pretty box! Guess what's in it?

 

Ta-da! The chic little box holds yummy custaroons by Gigi Gaerlan!

 

Custaroons are what you get when melt-in-your-mouth flan marries a chewy macaroon! I don't like macaroons (read: the ones with the double o's, not the french macaron, ok?). But this version is sinfully delicious. I think I can finish two big ones in one sitting. There are two flavors: original and cheese. I like the latter better - the cheese lends just enough flavor to balance the otherwise sickeningly sweet macaroon top.

We discovered the Custaroonery by accident the day we bought ornaments. I've tried these before (thanks to my Tita Vi), but this is the first time I've been in their tiny yet very pretty little store.

The store. Oh my gosh. Love. Not only are their goodies beautifully packaged, the store's interiors are gorgeous too. They even have my dream Daphne chairs, and a chandelier to boot! All in a tiny space that's probably just nine square meters. It gives new meaning to the phrase "great things come in small packages"!



Find the Custaroonery at the St. Pio Church parking lot. I hear they have a bigger branch in Eastwood. You can visit their website for details.

 

A Christmas cottage

My sweet husband got me the rest of those yummy Christmas ornaments today! We found the shop the lady at the bazaar told me about. It was a little cottage tucked away in the Padre Pio Church parking lot! Such a charming, cheery cottage. I was bubbling with Christmas cheer, like a kid in a candy store!



There was a tree filled with these vintage looking ornaments. I fell in love, and was about to put them in my basket, but found out they weren't for sale. Too bad! Just look at those circus Santas, and ladies eating chocolate! Oh my goodness! They were from a collection from past Christmases, and are now part of the shop owner's personal collection.

 
I got these adorable angels with peppermint candies and lollipops instead. Plus a few more cupcake Santas, a reindeer, a snowman, and Mr. Cupcake Elf! I almost missed the elf - he was the last one! Actually, most of what we bought were the last of their kind. So lucky!


There are a lot of other stuff worth considering, like this Nativity scene (Php 920), and festive words like the peace one below (Php 500).


Find these in the parking lot of St. Pio Church in Libis. The entrance is between Honda and Petron. There's a Php40 parking fee. You can probably park in Petron if you don't want to pay for parking. Haha.

I am so loving our tree! Thank you dear husband for the lovely trinkets! Looking at our tree makes me so happy!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Back to work?

I guess I haven't talked about my old job here in this blog yet. I used to design and create jewelry and accessories for a living. I work with polymer clay mostly, but I've also dabbled in silver and gold.

Since I got pregnant last year, I haven't really had the time or energy to create anything. Until this week! This week, the hubby kindly gave me some time off from mommy duty, so I was able to create these pretties. Even if it was a workday, he spent time with little moon so I could tinker away in my craft room. I am working on souvenirs for my cousin's cotillion, and these earrings are an offshoot from that project.

To be honest, I'm not comfortable with the idea of me "going back to work" yet, even if work just means sitting in the next room. Yes, my work is a lot of fun, and if things were different, I'd spend all my free time crafting. But I don't like the idea of my poor hubby having to babysit when he badly needs to catch up on sleep. I also haven't warmed up to the idea of someone else (read: nanny) taking care of my baby. Trust issues. Separation anxiety. Mommy guilt.

I'm sure we'll figure out something that works for everyone. Until then, I'll find pockets of time wherever I can. But little moon is still the priority, and everything else will have to take the backseat.

How do you working moms do it?

And how do you like these gorgeous earrings? Perfect for holiday parties, don't you think? If you wanna order, you can email me at angelisartbeads(at)gmail(dot)com. The holidays are coming!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Discovering Digital Domino

Domino, my favorite interior design magazine, folded up years ago. The few issues that I own have been reread many times over, to the point that I can almost memorize its contents. So imagine my delight when I found out recently that Domino launched a digital version! Woot!!!

 

I downloaded the free iPad app. It's lovely! The digital edition is a joy to read - it's interactive and intuitive. Some text is cleverly hidden away behind icons so you can appreciate the photos more. A quick touch reveals the information. The layout changes with your iPad orientation - the app doesn't simply resize the photos, it actually rearranges the way the images and text are laid out on the page! But it does so in a very subtle way, you almost won't notice. Very smart!

 
There are two special issues available for purchase - Quick Fixes and Best Rooms ($6.99 each). I bought Quick Fixes first, and I'm thinking of getting Best Rooms as a Christmas present for myself this month.

Reading through the digital Domino felt like bumping into an old friend you haven't seen in years. You sit down for a long chat to catch up, and you hit it off right where you left off. When you get to the end of the conversation, you feel bitin, and can't wait for next time.

 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I need new flipflops

I am down to my last pair of Havaianas. The last surviving pair is now 4 years old (!) and is begging to retire. I love how sturdy these things are. My first pair - the Limited Edition Cartunista Angeli which literally had my name on it! - lasted me five years. These babies are worth every penny.
 
I just saw the 2013 collection on the Havaianas Philippines Facebook page, and these are calling my name:
 
I'd love to get this for little moon - she loves Minnie Mouse! But she'll outgrow them in no time, so I don't think it's practical.

Dear Santa: I've been a good girl this year! Wink wink!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Our adorable ornaments

 

It's the first Monday of December! Eeek! So exciting, but nerve-wracking at the same time. It's almost Christmas! We're not done shopping for gifts yet. And we're still adding to our tree! Lookie, lookie...

 

I'm so happy with our new tree things - they're simply the cutest, most adorable ornaments ever! These are just perfect for me: sweet and whimsical and vintage-y. These are the kind of things I see us hanging on the tree year after year, the kind your kid can grow up with. Little moon loves them! And they even come with a fun little story.

 

 

Here's the story: I've been thinking about these baubles all year! I first found a cupcake ornament in the angel store in Megamall last year (you know the one near Cooks Exchange?). I didn't buy it back then because I thought Php150 was too mahal (around $4). But the whole year I regretted it - I couldn't stop thinking about it because it was so unique. Sana I bought it nalang! Fast forward to a year later. We were in Megmall again yesterday, and I realized that the store where I originally found the ornaments was gone already. A puzzle store replaced it - no Christmas things in sight. I mentioned this to Marco, and told him the story. I said, sayang, I should've bought it last year - come to think of it, Php150 isn't mahal pala considering it was an unusual piece, and you can't find it in department stores. Boohoo.

Then off we went to Alabang, to check out the annual St. James Bazaar. You know who I found waiting for me in one of the stalls? Mr. Cupcake Elf and his gang of equally cute angels and cupcake Santas! Oh my gosh, I was so happy! That's what I call serendipity! Don't you just love it when that happens?

 

I bought three ornaments, Php150 each. The stall is the exact same seller in Megamall! The lady at the stall told me where I can find them after the bazaar, but I'm not telling you because you might buy everything and there won't be any left for me! Haha!

 

I am so happy with my loot. The two angels and a cupcake Santa are the only things I got for myself at the fair. Hubby says maybe we can get a few more of these baubles. I hope so! Because I still didn't buy the cupcake elf. I know, I'm crazy.

So how's everyone's Christmas season so far?