Little Moon's 1st Birthday Video

One of the best gifts we received over the holidays is a video of Little Moon's 1st Birthday Party, shot and created by my cousin Kat. It's beautifully made, it feels like a professional created it. So cool!

Watch the video for some Monday eye candy!

I love you, don't you see,

You stole my heart in 1-2-3

I love you, yes it's true

You stole my heart

and I'm gonna steal yours too.

- "Stole My Heart" by Little And Ashley

Kat said when Ally was still a newborn, she already knew what song she'd use in the video! Hindi naman masyadong excited? Haha!

We will forever treasure this video. Thank you Kat!

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!

 

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?

The Best Home Store Ever

Happy Monday people! Let's start the week with some eye candy! This weekend I did some errands for a writing and styling raket, so we visited my favorite source of lovely home accessories: Regalong Pambahay Outlet Store along Pioneer St.

Regalong Pambahay is my go-to place for chic decor. This is where I bought my beloved tea set, saucers, and pastry stand many years ago. I'll show you those in a future post. For today, let's take a look at this to-die-for escritoire! The store had a cozy living room set up when we went last Saturday. I wanted to live there! This is the only photo I was able to take. After I clicked, the staff asked me not to take photos. Sayang! There was this lovely striped couch I wanted you to see. Ok, back to the table.

This secretary table I coveted is in a yummy shade of cream, with the edges scuffed off to give it a shabby chic look. It would look perfect in my craft room. I get that warm fuzzy feeling everytime I look at this photo. I can imagine myself spending hours writing and crafting on this desk. So what's keeping me from buying it? The hefty price tag: Php40,000 (roughly $1000). OMG, right? So for now, I will file this on my list of Things-To-Buy-When-I-Win-The-Lottery.

You can find many Regalong Pambahay stores in leading malls, but if you're in the Pasig-Mandaluyong area, try to drop by the outlet store in Pioneer. From the outside, it looks like a crummy warehouse. Step inside and you'll be awed. It's one of the most beautiful home stores this side of the planet. I hate that I don't have more pictures to show you. But the outlet store isn't only for eye candy - it's one of the best places to do your holiday shopping! Regular items sold in their mall stores can be had here for a 20% discount on cash purchases! Best of all, no hordes of holiday shoppers or long lines here.

Next week, I'll show you some of my favorite Regalong Pambahay finds. Happy Monday!

Let's talk about Christmas trees

We don't have any Christmas decor put up yet. I'm kind of in a panic already. Aren't you supposed to do that right after Halloween and Undas? Para sulit? Hehe. Well, we haven't even bought any ornaments yet.

This is our first time as a little family of three (plus two fur babies) to decorate the house in holiday cheer. We're putting up a tree for little moon - she loves balls and sparkly things. Good luck to us, let's see how long we can keep the ornaments out of her reach!

So since this is our first time, I want to make sure the pieces we'll buy are for keeps. They'll be part of our family tradition, after all. Isn't that exciting - starting new traditions of your own? Sigh. Life is sweet!

I'm looking for Christmas tree ideas online before we buy stuff. Here are my favorite pegs.

1. I like this simple non-tree. Very resourceful.

2. I love the colors in these paper trees. These are so me! Follow the link for a DIY tutorial. Lovely! But I don't have time to pull this off. Plus paper isn't really practical for what I have in mind. These are really gorgeous though!

3. I think I really want a pink tree like this one! How pretty. But we already have a green one. Maybe next year? (Asa pa ako.)

4. This whimsical tree is wacky. Ally would love something like this. Just needs to be toned down a bit.

Wow, looks like I'm drawn to a specific color palette. I wonder how I'll translate this from inspiration board to real life. Knowing how these projects of mine go, I'll probably end up with something totally different from my pegs.

Are you done with your Christmas decor yet? Would love to see what your tree looks like!

The Holidays are coming!

We were at Rockwell Powerplant Mall this weekend to support friends who joined the Global Pinoy Bazaar. I was excited to bring little moon there because I heard the mall had an amazing Christmas display. We weren't disappointed.

There were huge white reindeers and a sleigh by the fountain. My precious daughter was ecstatic. Even more so her mom and dad - seeing those oriental eyes sparkle and that tiny face crinkle up in a smile is the sweetest thing. Her daddy and I wished we had a better camera to capture these magical moments. I took these with my crappy camera phone. Missed a lot of big toothy smiles, but I'm glad I captured these shots, however grainy they may be.

There were pandas, tigers, polar bears, and penguins on the other side of the mall too. Ally was scared of the tigers and bears. I couldn't blame her - the polar bears were humongous. It looked like they were going to eat you, what with their moving heads and all. I was creeped out too. Teehee.

But she adored those reindeers and baby pandas. We're definitely going back there soon. I want to hear her babble and squeal excitedly again! I love being a mom!

The best diaper bags ever!

It's time for some eye candy!

Mommy Roxi over at Mr. Jacob's Mom started a blog hop called "What's in Mom's Bag". Well I have a confession to make: I don't bring my own bags anymore. I just use Ally's. Haha. So instead of posting a photo of the contents of my bag, I'll show you the lovely diaper bags we use.

Carrying a separate bag for my things is too much of a hassle for me. So I opted for a diaper bag I could tote around in style. My requirements: it has to be roomy enough for both Ally's stuff and mine, and it should not look tacky.

I searched the net, and fortunately for me, I found ones that do not look like diaper bags at all! Look at these darlings, aren't they gorgeous?

These are from a brand called Nursing Mom. When I found them on multiply, I thought they were soooo me! Most of the fabrics they use are from Amy Butler, who just happens to be my favorite designer ever! And the funny coincidence? Their bags are called Amara! Just like my little moon. I found out later on that the collection is named after the brand owner's daughter. :)

The first bag I bought is the lovely little Amara Day Bag in the first photo. Don't you just love the damask print? I forgot who the designer is, but I will try to find out. I love how structured this bag is - it stands on its own but isn't too bulky.

I realized a few weeks after I bought it that I needed a bigger bag for out of town trips, so I bought the larger Kate Overnight Bag in Amy Butler's Pressed Flowers fabric (2nd photo). This was from Nursing Mom's old collection, so I was lucky to have found the last one in Robinson's Galleria last year! The overnighter comes with a matching diaper mat - love it! This bag is a bit slouchy though, so it doesn't stand on its own.


Both models have lots of pockets inside and out - perfect not only for diapers and Ally's thingamabobs, but for my stuff as well. The bags are so roomy I can stash toys plus an iPad in there.

The yummy prints and overall construction make these the best diaper bags ever! My cousin even commented once that she'd love to get one for herself. She doesn't have a baby yet. Teehee!

Care to share other lovely bags you've found? Please leave a comment below! I hope you liked the eye candy!