7 things I love about this week:

1) Welcoming my beautiful nephew Robert Isaac to the family.

2) That he gets to inherit our Dad’s name, Robert, that even if he didn’t get to meet him anymore, a part of his Lolo lives in him.

3) How “Tita Riz” seems to just roll off the tongue, I can imagine little Isaac soon saying my name and tugging on my skirt. “Tita Riz, I want ice cream.” “Tita Riz, let’s go to the zoo.” “Tita Riz, I wanna play plants and zombiess!” (Just you wait, kid, your Tita Riz will spoil you like crazy. And well, I’ll leave the disciplining to your Mom, Dad and Lola, haha.)

4) That he’s got all of us wrapped around his cute little finger without knowing it. He cries and everyone in the room panics, figuring out what he needs. He sleeps and we all silently stare at him like lovestruck puppies. He blinks and we all go “awww” with tiny hearts in our eyes. It’s kuh-rayy-zee what babies can do, when they’re not even doing anything at all!

5) That I got to take their first family picture, and that I was able to preserve love in a photograph. Definitely one for keeps. <3

6) That I’ve witnessed (over again) with my own eyes this beautiful thing called motherly love, something we often fail to appreciate because mothers are always there anyway. I can still picture in my head the look in Ate Imy’s face as she admires her son, and the twinkle in my Mom’s eyes everytime she speaks of her grandson. Priceless.

7) Finally, I love days when, not expecting anything, something beautiful happens (or someone comes along) and your life is never the same. Such is this week in the Sanchez home. <3

And so I pray for a life that’s full of days like these. Dear Lord, that’s all I ask today.

I totally blew it and ate my words, huh?

Well this I had to do! Call it QLC or hormones or holiday fever, whatever — I woke up this morning with my eyes set on one goal: Pull out that box containing last year’s Christmas decorations from one of the kitchen cupboards, and put up this little Christmas tree. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet in the US, but I kinda feel that this Christmas season will pass by really quick and I just don’t want to miss out on it, is all.

So hi, it’s Christmas in Unit 507, come visit!

Truth is, I actually had fun doing this little activity of mine today. But I also have to admit.. I still think that Christmas comes with this unexplainable melancholy, no matter how I look at it. And if you’re in the mood for more confessions, I did shed a tear or two tonight, in the dark, once I switched on the twinkling lights and I was left with my thoughts, and memories of past Christmases and of things that I cannot anymore change.

But I wouldn’t bore you about with thoughts anymore. Coz I care about my reputation, and your insanity. So yeah, I think these photos will suffice. Besides, it’s almost 5:00 AM. Who blogs about sad things at 5:00AM anyway?

Not me.

(P.S. To everyone of you who worries that my house will catch fire anytime soon, please, find peace in knowing that I have fire extinguisher. And that I won’t fall asleep and/or leave the house with these light bulbs left switched on. Promise. )

Tonight I went home from a dinner date with my Mom and brother with two boxes of Christmas lights, yay. And please don’t point out how I just recently blogged (with full conviction) that Christmas lights are evil. I like contradicting myself sometimes.

Like now, because I’ve always wanted to do this, even before I saw Zooey Deschanel’s bed in (500) Days of Summer:

Aren’t they pretty? :) I think they look pretty on my vintage-wannabe bed (delivered last week from a department store sale). More reasons to stay in bed now, heh.

Tomorrow, I put up the Christmas tree. :D

(Oh hai, Mum, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to turn the lights off before I sleep, in case you’re worried that my bed would catch fire.)

DAY TWENTYTHREE. I’m nearing the end of my 30 days, I have exactly 7 days (and 7 posts) left, woot! As promised, here’s a little giveaway to all 5 of you, LOL, (excluding my Mum) who have been following my progress in this 30 day blog challenge.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! Aside from Mariel’s sharpie, I just won something from Vicki’s blog too (yay!), and knowing how good it feels to be a recipient of something that comes from the heart, I’m hoping that the simple items I’m giving away now will also bring joy to those who gets to have them.

Forgive me for being a bit carried away. Following my post about those pretty little things that make us women smile, I was really just planning to toss some pearl earrings and buttons into little brown envelops, send them over, and get it over and done with. But I’ve been too inspired by all of you lovely people that I thought I’d put in extra effort to make these little packages a bit more special. (Like I said, it’s often the extra mile that counts.) :)

So okay. I shall be quick with the mechanics.

I have 6 pearl earrings of different colors, each of their cardboard holders (that I made myself, ehem) has writings that say something about the color’s personality*. I only have 6 packages to give away so be very quick! To join, all you have to do is to answer this question by posting a photo in your blog and/or flickr accounts:

What’s on top of your desk? :)

Take a top-view photo of your desk — the same way I’ve been doing in most of my 30-day blog challenge photos — put it up in your blog, link back to this page, and leave a comment here so I would see your post. The first 6 people to leave a comment here gets the pearl earring package from me. :)

But wait, there’s more! I know you must be eye-ing that pair of Camera Charm earrings in the photo above. I only have one pair of that, so I’m going to have it raffled! :) Assuming there are more than 6 people (lol) reading this blog, and all the pearl earrings are already taken, you still have a chance of winning this Camera Charm earrings! Everyone who’s able to post a top-view photo of her desk in her blog gets to be part of the raffle. On Wednesday next week, I’ll announce who wins this:

Is this something you’d be interested to have? :)

(more…)

TWENTYTWO. Why hello there. I was away from the internet almost the whole day, hence, managed to accumulate piles of work up to my neck. Who cares. My day was well-spent, I wouldn’t want it any other way — a trip to the mall, a dip in a freezing-cold pool (note to high-rise hotel establishments, rooftop pools need to have heater at all times, especially if you pride yourself of having a jacuzzi), delicious food, some rounds of poker, and a lot of fun and laughter among friends.

Now, my nose is about to dive into my trackpad — I’m so tired and sleepy — so I’m making this short, sweet, and visual.

Here’s a photo I took in Tagaytay sometime in June, treated with blue and purple hues. I just love how it turned out. :)

Suddenly, my addiction to purple and blue has become undeniable. Exhibit A: This blog’s template; Exhibit B: My multiply account’s layout; Exhibit C: My twitter design; Exhibit D: A few weeks back, being inspired by Bella’s Room. I just can’t get enough of purple and blue!

Creative Mint has perfected the color schemes in my head:

Pretty, eh? :) How can one not be inspired by these beauties? Check out Creative Mint’s lovely inspiration boards! If her work did not inspire you to do something creative yourself, I don’t know what will. :)

Btw, watch out for my 30-day challenge giveaway tomorrow! I promise I won’t disappoint. For now, I sleep. Zzzzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 22/30.

DAY THIRTEEN. I was really planning to blog earlier, but akdfaldsfj!! There are just too many distractions around here, and before I knew it, I spent the past 2 hours blog-hopping and window-shopping (yes you can do that online) and eventually ended up buying stuff I don’t need. (Inthefishbowl is sooo addicting, and that’s not only because Sheila is my friend, no, I’m really just a sucker for pretty things, is all.)

Anyway. I’m thinking of coming up with a “Store of the Week” or “Wish List” kinda thing here. Since I’ve been spending a lot of money and time online shopping anyway, I thought perhaps I could point you guys to these awesome online shopping sites I frequent lately so you too can, uh, splurge with me. (What a lame. I’m sleepy.) No commissions involved, don’t worry.

Today, I shall point you to the direction of.. ta-da, the Heima Store.

Hi, I was at Heima last week, and I bought two rolls of film. And a pillow.
(Btw, that’s Heima featured at Real Living Magazine’s July Issue)

I first heard of them from a friend who happens to be college-friends with Heima’s store owner, Rossy Anne Yabut (graduate of UST, BA Interior Design, one year my junior — impressive indeed). I loved what I saw in the online store, hence, when I had the chance to drop by Cubao Expo, I made it a point to check out their showroom as well.

And oh-my-golly-wow, their showroom is awesome, I love everything I saw — from the furniture, to the home decors, to the lomographic cameras. Their collection ranges from vintage classic to modern glam, just about everything that makes me drool these days.

And the Happy House Collection is probably the most awesome thing there. Check. This. Out.

Now if only the heavens would pour out 35,000 PhP my way right this instant so I can buy this Happy Couch, then I’d start rain-dancing now. And then I’d rain-dance some more for another 12,000 PhP so I can get the Happy Bench. Or that Ms Cupcake Secretary Desk, which will really look pretty in my bedroom, the turquoise one please. *wipes drool*

Seriously though, I think this is the type of furniture I’d want in my home, when I have one. I can imagine the colors I can mix and match with this happy set already, the possibilities are endless, and I like what I see in my head! Someday, maybe.

Meanwhile, you can always just buy a roll of film from Heima, or a pillow, and leave the store happy just the same. ;)

Happy = awesome.

P.S. I know I sound like a sappy TV commercial, you don’t have to point that one out okay. It’s 5AM, cut me some slack here!! Zzzzzzz.. zzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 13/30.

DAY THREE. I think guitars are not only photogenic, they’re also awesome decorative elements wherever you place them. Truckloads of photos, coming up! :)

3/30. Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them

[The guitars in this photo: Acoustic guitar -- the only one that is actually making any sound -- from Rico; the red toy guitar made in Cebu, from Ivy; and the two guitar magnets -- the bigger one I got from the Detroit Metro Airport during a stopover from last year's US trip, and the smaller one from my brother who got it also from Cebu.]

I have not played my guitar in a long time (and have stopped being guitarchic, too, if you haven’t noticed, lol) but I’m still fond of anything guitar, mostly because I like taking photos of them and seeing them displayed. And okay, playing them once in a while.

Collect and display, there goes a rule to live by. If you have guitars in your house, whether you’re using them or not, take them out of your closets and display them.

Let’s try visual now, shall we? Here are two ways to use guitars as decorative elements.

(more…)