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Family & Friends Home Inspiration Love

Mae’s Ikea-fied room; An afternoon with my girls

June 22, 2012 – 1:11 pm

Saturdays are for family, and friends, and love. And even though I decided to discontinue my 52 Saturdays Project (I shall not bore you with excuses and explanations), I’m still making the most out of my Saturdays, and taking photographs as much as I can. Last Saturday was spent with my girlfriends while the husband was away for our church’s Men’s Encounter. Ivy and I went to Mae‘s, and spent the afternoon hanging out at her newly renovated room.

And look at what a cozy little haven it is! If only her bed was bigger, I would camp out there for days! :)

Edit: Mae just finished blogging about the details of her room. CLICK HERE!

You bet I took more photographs than these, but I’d let her post it up on her blog herself.

Mae’s room reminds me of my blue room, back in its glory days. I remember locking myself up in my room for days, and investing so much time and money to prettify my little nook. No regrets, even though I only stayed there for less than a year, until I had to move out again.

Mae painted her walls all white which makes her room look bigger than it really is (there goes a tip for small spaces!), and used red accent pieces all over the place. Some of my favorite details in there are her vintage camera collection, her snow globes and souvenirs from her travels, and the Ikea items she collected while she was still in Singapore. Can I just say, I’m crazy about that wall print! Ahh, when will we ever have Ikea in the Philippines?!

Our private viewing of Mae’s room aside, spending time with my best girl friends is the highlight of my day, maybe even week. I’ve known them since we were in diapers, and I’m so blessed to have them around all these years, no matter what phase in life we’re in, and wherever in the world we are.

LOL. They touched my baby bump like it’s the fertility statue or something. I have such weird friends.

But that’s okay. That only means I can be my weird self around them. :)

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Day 30: Home is wherever I’m with you

November 15, 2011 – 5:22 pm

30/30: Anything goes! After almost two months, this 30-day project has finally come to an end. And although it took me double the time to finish this one, the fulfillment is still the same as (if not greater than) the first time I did it.

And so our fairy tale wedding was over. It’s going to be the quickest day of your life, one of our Ninongs said. And he was right. We said goodbye to single life, boxed up my gown and his coat, went off to a quiet honeymoon just within the city (we reserved the out-of-town getaway for later), and the spotlight started moving slowly away from us, leaving us in our own little world.

Coming back from our honeymoon, we spent the rest of the week moving into our humble apartment, which soon became our very first home. Home. I just love the sound of that. 

Moving in is actually not a new thing for me. I’ve been apartment-hopping for years and I’ve had this love-hate relationship with packing and unpacking for as long as I can remember. But this time.. this time, it’s different. This time, I have someone carrying and unpacking boxes with me. This time, I’m not alone anymore.

Blue. Lots of blue. But of course we had to take our wedding motif home. (:

I absolutely enjoyed this time of our life together—cleaning up, unpacking our stuff, shopping at home depots, moving furniture around, making our own house rules, and seeing everything come together and fall into place. It’s a tedious task, but seeing the result of our hardwork was truly worth it all.

Now, coming home and spending time at home are my favorite times of day. Although our apartment was trespassed a few weeks ago and our most priced material possessions were stolen, nothing could take away the warmth and the love that our home is made of. The fact remains true, that God did not only bless us with a beautiful wedding, He also blessed us with a beautiful home. (:

So.. before I give in to the temptation of ending this with “and they lived happily ever after” (No? Too late?), allow me to sign this project off by sending some link love to our awesome wedding suppliers:

30-day Challenge, Round 2, over and out! (:

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Happy is now a Couch, thanks to Heima

August 4, 2009 – 1:49 pm

DAY THIRTEEN. I was really planning to blog earlier, but akdfaldsfj!! There are just too many distractions around here, and before I know 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.

Heima Store | Cubao Expo

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.

Wishlist - Happy Couch and Bench from Heima!

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.

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Web Hopping

Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them

July 25, 2009 – 1:51 am

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 | Guitars are Awesome

3/30. Collecting Guitars and Displaying Them

[The guitars in this photo: Acoustic guitar -- the only one that is actually making any sound; 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.

read more »

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Good Finds Home Inspiration

Taking Vintage into my Living Room

July 10, 2009 – 10:50 am

Last Thursday, I went to the mall to look for an extra rack for my clothes because my stuff won’t fit in my closet anymore. The intention was pure, I needed to de-clutter before snakes would start nesting on clothes that were scattered on the floor and in the corners of my room. Clothes rack, check.

What I failed to do, however, was to resist looking around and buying a few more things that I don’t really need.

And it all started with this wall clock. (Isn’t it the prettiest thing?)

Vintage-y Curtains, Wall Clock

I don’t know how it started, but this crazy obsession with typewriters and anything vintage (-looking) came to me with this sudden fondness of wall clocks. (Not too long, I also took home an old Coca Cola Wall Clock from Vintage Pop’s clearance sale.) So yep, this vintage-inspired clock found its way to my shopping cart in no time, as if I needed more reminders that time is ticking away.

This was shortly followed by the floral printed curtains, which were on sale. The huge floral pattern look like something my grandmother will appreciate, which is exactly what I love about it. And I like how I didn’t have to take down my old red curtains because as it seems, the printed pattern looks perfect against the two-toned red anyway. Surely, red and olive green look lovely together, Christmas or no Christmas.

Just a couple of finishing touches

And then there were just a few more things: fake flowers on a porcelain pot, scented candle contained in a jadeite metal pail, and a cheapo table cloth with orange and red stitches. Voila, instant living room overhaul.

I got home from the mall yesterday feeling a bit guilty for splurging (again) on things that were not in my budget to begin with. Tonight, however, as I spend time in that little corner of this place I’ve come to know as “home”, I knew that I could justify my impulse buying again and win in court.

I needed this change.

For freelancers like me, who spend most of our days confined in such a small space, little changes like this spell a lot of difference. Work places affect productivity, after all.

Vintage in my teenyweeny living room

Old items: (1) Love seat/two-seater couch from SM Departmen Store; (2) Red throw pillows from Our Home; (3) Red two-toned curtains from some supermarket, I can’t remember which one; (4) Lamp from Ikea; (5) Red adjustable round table from Dimensione; (6) Vintage make-up kit and coffeeholics mug from Vintage Pop; (7) Accounstic guitar from Rico.

Recent additions, all from SM Department Store: (1) Floral printed curtains (P375 each x2); (2) Vintage-inspired wall clock (P299); (3) Red table cloth (P35); (4) Scented candle on a pail (P239); (5) Fake flowers in a porcelain pot (P149).

P.S. Daily doses of Decor8, plus the habitual bloghopping through her blogroll, did this to me. Thanks, Holly. :)

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