Chasing Dreams

The 30-day Blog Challenge I did in 2009 and 2011 benefited me in ways I never thought possible. It forced me to think, to write, and to put my heart out there. It inspired me to capture moments and to see beauty in ordinary things. It awakened my creativity each day and left me with lots of beautiful memories. And then it allowed me to meet new people and—this I never expected—to encourage and inspire strangers and friends.

While I’m still terrified at the thought of doing Project 365 (which I tried once, but failed), committing myself to a more manageable creative project excites me for all the reasons I mentioned above.

So I’m doing this starting today.

Inspired by Stephanie and Mav’s A Year of Sundays, this new creative project I’m imposing upon myself will run from February 2012 to February 2013. I will take photographs and let you in on how my Saturdays go; you can keep coming back to this post to monitor my progress. Hopefully, as I go about one week after another, I will also be challenged to do something extraordinary out of my Saturdays and make the most out of it.

52 Saturdays starting today, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I know I will. :)

I’m very brand-loyal. When I found the right brand of pen, you bet that’s the only brand you’d ever see me buy. Same goes with cosmetics. And laptops. And journals.

Picking up my first Peter Pauper Press journal was random. I got the first blue floral-printed journal that caught my attention from a pile of stuff at a FullyBooked counter at the start of 2011. Since then, I never bought any other brand of notebook other than PPP.

I had a total of 7 journals last year, including the one I’m writing on right now. Allow me to share photos of them because they’re just too photogenic! And they’re actually prettier in real life than the ones you see on their product catalog!

It’s difficult finding them here in Manila, so when I was in New York, I hoarded a couple of pieces from Barnes and Noble. Later on I learned that if you looked hard enough, you’d find them at some National Bookstore, Power Books and Fully Booked branches. I love them so much I started buying them not just for myself but to give to some friends as well.

To make it sweeter, I’ve so far made sure I didn’t get the same design twice. (Hover over the photos to see the captions.)

Their paper is usually plain white and finely-ruled, but once in a while you get yourself a little surprise. Some of these notebooks come with dainty little prints like these:

Cute no?

I’ve made myself visible online all these years, blogging, twitting, posting here and there; but nothing still compares to writing things down old school way—paper, ink, and heart. My journals are the keeper of my most honest thoughts and musings, my most daring prayers, and even my dried-up tears on its pages.

I love the thought that long after my blog sites are abandoned, my eyesight too blurry to see the computer screen, and my hand too shaky to type on a computer keyboard, I still have trinkets of my life preserved in a box-full of journals, which, hopefully, I’d get to hand down to my kids.

I like quoting from movies, even if no one gets it. And sometimes I like explaining them too, when no one gets it. :p

In You’ve Got Mail, when Kathleen Kelly’s book shop was starting to lose sales after Fox Books opened within the block, she confidently shrugged off the concerns of her worried employees and simply said, “They’re new, it’s a novelty. It’ll all shake out. Meanwhile, I’m putting up more twinkle lights.”

I love that scene. I love how Kathleen said that line as if putting up those lights was more important than worrying about her business. We all could use some of that attitude, don’t you think? (:

Last week, I woke up from a quick nap to the sight of this beauty *points to the picture*. We were supposed to do this together, but the husband thought he’d surprise me so he went ahead putting the Christmas lights up while I was sleeping. A word to husbands out there: big or small gestures like this are very much appreciated. Never get tired surprising your wives with kindness, rest assured, your act of love will be returned tenfolds. ♥

x o x o

Here’s some linkworthy stuff to start the week:

+ Interesting thoughts on making disciples by Laura Hamilton. I agree with her, Christianity does involve a bold, unashamed declaration of faith, rather than a quiet commitment you keep to yourself.

+ I cried like a loser, watching this Coca-Cola OFW Project. Good job, Coca-Cola! You make me want to buy boxes of Coke and give them away for Christmas.

+ Alie Edward’s December Daily hybrid journal project makes me wish I have time and skills to do one of my own. Paislee Press and Paper Relics are doing it too. I started scrapbooking (again) lately, I just don’t think I can do it with the same passion and commitment as these ladies here. At least not yet. Maybe someday. (;

+ Pentatonix won the Sing Off last week. I love this video I found in Youtube, a montage of all their performances this season. We still watch them at home until now.

+ I love how Seth Godin’s blogs transcend both business and life. He may be using marketing terms like “products” and “customers” and “services” or may be directly referring to entrepreneurial principles in his posts, but for all we know, he’s actually imparting to us important life lessons on achieving real-life breakthrough one step at a time. Oh, and he’s got some interesting thoughts about Christmas lights, too! This guy thinks about everything! LOL.

+ I’ve been thinking about this SEO and Online Marketing industry I happened to have been exposed to for the past 6-7 years, and I thought, even though I don’t really see myself doing this forever, perhaps I shouldn’t give up on it just yet.

+ Lastly, you might want to help Wikipedia, since, you know, we’ve all somehow benefited from it at one point or another.

Here’s to starting, and ending, the week right! (:

1. Polaroid prints. We got a Polaroid Pogo Printer more than a month ago, but my excitement died down with each passing day as I realized how difficult it is to find Polaroid Pogo films in Manila. Why, surprise, surprise. A pack of 100 Zink photo sheets came in the mail last Friday, and I was left wondering again how my husband manages to cook up surprises like this from under my nose!

He ordered the Zink sheets from ebay, the package was shipped to the Philippines from California, and just like that, my love for instant photography is back. Mind reels that there’s a separate blog about this sometime soon. You bet. (:

2. Habakkuk 3:17-19. Last Sunday, David preached in church for the first time and the experience was awesome. I know, that last sentence was pretty biased, coming from his wife and #1 fan by default. But what’s truly awesome to me is how God prepared him for this. Sure, he didn’t have a degree in Theology, but his message felt so real to me because I’ve seen Habakkuk 3:17-19 happen in his life more times than my fingers can count and my mind can recall. I sat there front and center, listening to him preach God’s Word, feeling like I was getting to know him a little bit more, and feeling blessed and inspired of the message that God placed in his heart. So okay, I may be biased, but come to think of it, if there’s anyone who sees this man for who he really is now—ups and downs, good days and bad days—it’s got to be me. And I’m soo thankful to be a witness to how God is continuously working in his life, and our life together. (:

3. Link love. And now I send some link love to these people whose blogs/videos inspired me this week. After the jump.

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26/30: From a distance. Here’s more from Exquisite Photography. (:

I just love how I’ll never run out of beautiful wedding photographs to share! (:

I keep coming back to Jennie Perillo’s blog, quietly watching her life and cheering her on from a distance since I found her blog a couple of weeks ago. I know I only started following her story after the death of her husband, but seeing her wedding photos for the first time made me tear up like I’ve known them for a long time. I don’t think she’s ever posted their wedding photos on her blog until now.

I lost my Dad too five years ago, and I remember finding refuge in the pages of my blog and writing about my grief as my way to cope. Although the loss of a husband and a father may be two very different things, I do know how it’s like to be a daughter, seeing her mother rise above her grief and be strong for the sake of her children.

It’s my Dad’s birthday today. He’s supposed to turn 62 years old. It feels like a long time since he passed away, but relieving his memories still brings tears to my eyes, making me long to see him and hear his laughter again.

There’s really no easy way to cope with losing someone you love over death. They say getting over your grief gets easier each day, and while there may be some truth to that, there would still be that empty seat no matter how far you’ve come.

It’s easy to take things for granted in a marriage, especially when the number of ordinary days you spend with your spouse begins to trump the extraordinary ones. But Jennie’s story is a real, honest-to-goodness reminder for the rest of us to treasure every moment with our loved ones and appreciate each day’s big and small things.

Be kind to the ones you do life with, Bobbie Houston said. God gave us one short life to live and we never know when it’s going to end, we might as well live a life we won’t regret.