AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Change.... DATE: 3:28 AM ----- BODY:
Its been a month since my last entry.... I guess I'm really bad at updating my blog :( I still have some reservations on what to put on my blog...my deepest thoughts, my sentiments, exactly what I feel on a certain day. Today is just the same though there are a lot of things going through my mind but I just can't let them all out. *sigh* I don't know..... I came across this quote today and it just struck me....maybe this sums up what I am feeling now but just can say it. I'm into red & black today coz I've been working on a design this morning with these colors.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous wildflowr DATE:July 6, 2010 at 12:10 PM I have always had this weirdness about what to put on a blog, too. So right now... I guess I am kind of cheating (hehe) I am chronicling my work on my latest project... which is interesting because it involves lots of famous dancers. I am interviewing the dancers, showing my work & eventually the finished painting- not getting personal at all. Shockingly enough, even though, I feel like I am "cheating" 3 magazines are interested in my project now- so maybe you don't have to get too personal to have an interesting blog?
I was just checking out how the FLYING was going ;)
My name is Stephanie. Your blog is mighty cool, btw- LOVE that masthead! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: My Starbucks® Collage Series: #1 DATE: 9:09 AM ----- BODY:
April 23 - Dropped off hubby to his job interview somewhere in Makati. Just what I needed...some time alone to update my planner and to jot down my ideas. I found a nearby Starbucks® and I immediately need a sugar rush...not the sugar from the Frappuccino but from the rich & moist chocolate cake!

In between bites of the chocolate cake, an idea popped! I'm going to make a COLLAGE using Starbucks® fliers! I already have images running in my brain of how I want it to look like but I haven't even tried making a collage! Lakas ng loob 'no?! Though I've been wanting to create it (I already have my blank canvas, gesso, Mod Podge for the longest time!), the fear in me kept me from doing it.

So, I sketched it before I lose it in my memory.... talk about memory gap! ;) Finished my cake and went back to my car. No, I didn't take some Starbucks® fliers because I've been collecting them for quite some time now, hehe. Wala lang...I just like the looking at the layout and design maybe someday they might be useful. :)

A week passed by and I haven't done my collage because I was thinking why... why in the world I want to create a collage using Starbucks® fliers eh I'm not even a coffee drinker! Though, I love Starbucks® because it is where my friends and I share stories of our lives, it is my "sanctuary" when I need some time alone to organize my thoughts, it is where my kids, hubby and I share some weekend breakfasts together - so many wonderful memories! But still, I kept asking myself why.

Then came along Bo Sanchez' weekly message...it was about the story of the carrot, egg and coffee bean. When I saw it, I knew I already read the same article shared by a friend some years back. I even remembered (o ha! no memory gap! hehe!) that I posted it on my blog. After reading it again, I knew the reason why Starbucks®...why coffee bean. It will serve as my constant reminder that I should be a coffee bean in this life. I don't have to be a coffee connoisseur exactly, but to be like what the coffee bean becomes after going through the heat (struggles, problems, difficulties in life) and that is, to release my sweetest aroma (to become the best that I can be) after all that I've been through.


May we all be COFFEE BEANS! :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Liza DATE:May 31, 2010 at 5:51 PM I LOVE what you created Airees! That is an inspirational collage and I thank you for sharing this. It is true, we need to be like the coffee bean, able to to work within the adversities that face us. Again, thank you for sharing this... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lee i. DATE:May 31, 2010 at 8:43 PM Wow, Airees. Starbucks should pay you for this. I remember that coffee bean story, too, now that you mention it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Johwey Redington DATE:June 4, 2010 at 6:19 AM Hi Airees. We're both taking Flying Lessons. Just dropped in to say hi to a fellow Filipino :D ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Sneak Peak DATE: 3:16 AM ----- BODY:
I've been kinda sluggish for the past 3 days. I guess the heat of the summer is kicking in and many times during the day I find myself dreaming and planning where to go and what activities to do. :) Aaahhh, beach, watermelon smoothie (sans the seeds ha!), ocean breeze...this is the life! haha!
Now back to reality...
Here's a sneak peak of the invites I just finished designing and will be working in the coming days. I still have upload the ones I already finished and delivered though.
 
(1) Square invitation in summer color of fuschia & yellow green with a Filipiniana touch; (2) Eco-friendly invitation with real pine tree twig accent reflects the couple's simple yet elegant theme of their wedding;  (3) This is a first for me - working on black & fuschia combination but proved to be really cute - a reflection of the couple's personality.
I finally finished updating the inventory file. And while I was working on it, plenty of ideas & designs start to pop in my head I can't wait to work on them! But for now, I have to deal with boxes of samples lying around in my office for sorting & updating. Argh, the to-do's never end but then I'm not the type of person who will be happy doing nothing (ADHD haha!). :)
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: On learning SEO and stuff... DATE: 1:25 AM ----- BODY:
I'm trying to learn SEO (search engine optimization) the for the past week since I am planning to update my website (www.handcraftedexpressions.com). I heard about SEO and meta tags but never really got to know the technical part of those terms. While browsing, I came across several websites that featured me and my work. I was surprised because I was not aware of some of them! I am thankful nevertheless because the writers took time in writing and posting my work and that gives me some mileage in Google searches. :) And for that, I am grateful to all of them. Thank you!


Shiela is a budding writer. She just texted me last year asking me if its ok to have my business featured on her website. Of course, that would be great. Thank you, Shiela! :)

Website: The Golden Apple




Ajay's Writing on the Wall 

Annalyn is a former client of mine. I just saw her blog entry a few days ago while browsing and I was surprised that she posted her invitation among her other wedding suppliers. Thanks, Annalyn!


She even had her article published on a newspaper!



The PlanetEye Traveler


Marianne, a Filipina blogger & prolific writer whom I met online emailed me last year if she could write an article about my work. Of course, I said, by all means. :) Thanks, Marianne.

Jemps & Jason's Eco-Chic Wedding

I admire this couple whom I worked with last year. They proved that anyone can have a memorable & chic wedding without harming the environment much more inspiring us and to quote them "Every green choice makes a difference - no matter how small!" Just reading the article about their green steps towards an eco-chic wedding is so inspiring you would want to sign up to Greenpeace! :) Congratulations, Jason & Jemps! Thank you!

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lastly,  I just learned from my husband that there was an online version of the Business Friday article about me. I *heart* this one because it captured everything that is me and to think it was just a serendipitous meeting with Madonna, the writer. The one I posted almost 3 years ago was a scanned image. Thank you, Madonna.


Masigasig Magazine
Ms. Prime S. and I met when we shoot the video of Kumikitang Kabuhayan years ago. Then she went on to become the editor for Masigasig Magazine of Globe Telecom. Thanks, Prime! 

I am just a small business owner. I cannot afford to have paid advertisements/write-ups on the magazines & newspaper. Its my passion that fuels me to stay in the business. Its more than the money and I thank these people who saw that passion in me and took time to acknowledge it and they do it for free! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!
Now, who says nothing is free in this world?

Labels: , , , , ,

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Alby DATE:March 3, 2010 at 4:49 AM Wow Airees, Congrats! Very good exposure. So proud of you. I hope someday I'll also be able to do what you do. :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Hands to Work, Hearts to God DATE:April 24, 2010 at 6:08 AM Hi Airees, I'm so glad I stumbled on to your blog- I just wrote a post about our family business and how to be successful. I was thinking of writing a part two about how we've been getting free exposure all these years! If you offer something different, like what you're doing with your invitations, etc., you get noticed. God bless your business! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Kerri DATE:June 10, 2010 at 8:45 PM yay for you.
i'm trying to figure that seo stuff out too- never have paid attention or knew about it.
good luck. :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Thanks Alvin & Sab... DATE: 4:47 AM ----- BODY:
I've been busy for the past weeks I hardly have time to update my blog. So many on my to-do lists (with "s" since I have a separate list for personal, business, plans -phew!) BUT I cannot let this pass. It just made my day. :)

Hi Airees! Long time. Hope all is well with you and your family. Just want to tell you na you can check out the picture of the invite you made for us at http://www.joelfrancisco.com.ph/blog/. Thanks so much for being part of our special day. Take care always! Sab

Thanks, Sab & Alvin! It was an honour for me to work with you. God bless you always. :) *hugs*

Here's the photo courtesy of Joel Francisco. If only we can get married again, I would love to hire him as our photographer! :)

Labels: , , , ,

----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: 2009 - The year that was... DATE: 5:09 AM ----- BODY:
Its been quite a long time since I last posted here. A lot of things happened the past year worth blogging here but I just didn't have so much time left to do it. Work (or what I call my passion) and family top the list and 2009 just went by! I didn't even had the time to wrap gifts much more make handmade gifts which I've always wished I would be doing come Christmastime. But even without the my traditional gift-giving among friends, what I really treasured this past Christmas season was spending time with family and friends - high school, college and balikbayan friends. Nothing beats that!

We celebrated Christmas day differently this time - we went picnic! I realized that we've been eating on the same restaurant every Christmas in Tagaytay and yet there's really nothing special in their menu...mas masarap pa lutong bahay! So this year, we decided to go on a picnic! This is the first time that the kids will experience it. It was fun and we had a great time enjoying the simple things - yummy adobo with egg, rice, soda, just lying under the big tree feeling the cool breeze - aahhh, the simply joys of life! We explained to the kids why we decided to go on a picnic - (1) to try something new & different, (2) its more practical (less expensive than dining in a restaurant) and (3) happiness is in the company of your loved ones not necessarily in a mall or fine dining resto or lots of foods on the table that you don't even know how to consume them all much more what to do come new year's eve party!

Work-wise, I can't complain. God has been very generous to me and my staff for continuous projects here and abroad. One of the highlights of the year was an article featuring me and my kids in Good Housekeeping Philippines on the column about Mompreneurs. :) Hopefully I can post pics here soon! I still have to scan it, haha! :)

Another memorable event was I got invited to share my humble beginnings infront of a thousand students from the different colleges & universities in the province of Cavite - The 3rd Cavite Entrepreneurship Students Summit. Believe me - I've always had stage fright and never in my wildest dreams that I would speak infront of a huge crowd. I accepted the invitation before I knew that there would be 1000 of them! I wanted to back out but realizing that this might be the 1st and last time that I would be doing this plus the chance to inspire those students to become entrepreneurs, too, I decided to do it! And thank God for giving me the courage. It was a very fulfilling experience and I am willing to do it one more time! haha! nawili...

On the homefront, kids have been amazing - in school and at home - assuring us that somehow we are right in raising them. We may not have more than what we need but we're happy and I know that God knows what our hearts desire even before we ask Him....

I'll try to post some pics next time. For now, I just wish anybody who's reading my blog a blessed 2010. May we all be safe and healthy. :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Alby DATE:February 4, 2010 at 10:57 PM Great recap Airees! What a great idea to spend Christmas with a picnic. I'm sure your kids will really remember it and look forward to your next picnic.

And congratulations for the great business performance last year, the magazine feature and the opportunity to share your wisdom with kids. Sana nandun ako para matuto rin ako from your experience. I think it's a great way to pay forward the blessings you've been receiving. Great job!

Wishing you and your family more opportunities to experience God's love and abundant blessings this 2010. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Happy Thanksgiving! DATE: 6:07 AM ----- BODY:

Been a bad blogger again but with valid reasons:

- Mom went home and stayed with us for almost a month which meant that I am officially her driver! No pun intended. I liked it because we continued our bonding time after I surprised her a 2 months earlier for a visit ;) Went shopping & ate out and just by simply driving along with her we had our long talks from jokes to sentiments to motherly & daughterly advices. Oh, I'm missing her now that she's back to the US.

- After mom left, I had to catch up with work! I'm not complaining though. I love how I am more involved with the production unlike for quite some time I've focused on designing. But this leaves me little time to FB ;) and more so blogging! But I am thankful - for this job I can call - I still love what I do and the heartwarming messages I get from every client after receiving their invites all the more inspire me to pursue my passion!

So now, I don't know when will I post again but I do hope this will not be the last for this year, haha! Have to go work on my speech (?!) for tomorrow's event. Secret muna...I just hope I'll make it good tomorrow. :)

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Count your blessings! :)
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: hello blog. DATE: 8:15 AM ----- BODY:

been neglecting my blog for some months now...a lot of things happened - good & bad, happy & sad, exciting & boring, blessing & curse - all sorts! But i just can't find the right words to write here.

I found this quote today and inspired me to play with these colors and maybe start making my "notes to self" everyday IF, that is a BIG IF, I find time to make one. Oh well, it depends on when the inspiration kicks in.

I hope this is a good start for me...
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Mt. Rushmore Child Learning Center Graduation Speech DATE: 3:28 PM ----- BODY:

In 2 weeks time, Loui will be in Grade 1, and another exciting year has begun. New friends & classmates, lots of school activities (which means more photo op for mommy = more photos = need to scrap them) exams every week! I will miss our everyday lunch together and our home will be 4 hrs. quieter until she & Vcoy come home from school.

I'd like to share my Thank You speech before the parents and graduates during Loui's Graduation in Pre-School after she had her Graduation Speech.

"Good afternoon parents, teachers, ate’s & kuya’s and graduates. I am very honored to have the privilege of speaking in front of you today. First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to all the parents and families for a JOB WELL DONE! WE made the right decision to enroll our children in Mt. Rushmore Child Learning Center. We would not be able to see our children as to what they have become in the past 3 years without our wise decision and continued support to them. THANK YOU!

Teacher Ella, we thank you for the passion and courage in putting up Mt. Rushmore. We know how much sacrifice you have been doing being away from your children in order to provide our children the best school environment you can give. In God’s perfect time, we know you will be with us soon.

I never knew how important the role of a pre-school is teacher until I saw my children evolved from their 1st day in Nursery until today. Pre-school teachers are the ones that lay the strong foundation in our children that will empower them as they move on to the challenges of the big schools. And with that, THANK YOU to all the Teachers and caregivers. Keep the passion for teaching burning in your hearts. It is my fervent hope that more teachers will stay and teach the Filipino children. For whatever mistakes we made in our society, OUR CHILDREN have the power to correct them and make a change.

To the parents – it is not enough that we send our children to good schools. Nothing beats our love and attention to make them better persons. Believe in their abilities…encourage them to speak what’s on their minds… and listen to them… support them… while they pursue whatever interest they have.

And to you, our dear graduates, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK, SPEAK OUT… BUT ALWAYS with RESPECT. Everyday is an opportunity to LEARN and EXPLORE NEW THINGS. For it is not only your parents & teachers who teach you but we also LEARN FROM YOU. Again, congratulations & good luck to all of you."
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mia Castrillo DATE:May 22, 2009 at 6:59 AM Love your speech! True, true! :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mickee DATE:July 20, 2009 at 6:06 PM Clap, clap, clap... great speech!

Email me na lang at mickeerm@yahoo.com and hopefully we can finally meet when you're here... ;) Is the whole family going too?

Take care! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Mother's Day DATE: 2:05 AM ----- BODY:
We heard mass at 9am then off to the mall for an early lunch. Vic and I wanted to try the other restaurants but the kids wanted ang walang kamatayang Shakey's! Vic asked me what I want but for me anything goes. Tutal, I like their creamy mushroom soup and chicken so its ok. Plus seeing my kids happy with their mojos and dip, pizza and chicken, happy na din ako.

The night before I was working at my office when they surprised me with this:

Priceless.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: My Starbucks Planner 2009 DATE: 7:39 AM ----- BODY:
This is long overdue. I've taken the shots last January but I was not able to post it here since blogging took a backseat 1st quarter of this year.
Vic gifted me this Starbucks Planner last December 2007. Since I am not a coffee/frap drinker, the only way I could get this planner is to ask my husband to get it for me. :) Mababaw lang ako - masaya na ko with a gift like this. What made me even happier was this note he wrote for me. He rarely writes love notes and so this one is something very special for us.

When Starbucks released its 2009 Planner, I was very disappointed. Most people I know share the same sentiment. So as not to overload Vic with caffeine again this year, I thought maybe I could re-use the 2008 planner.

I got used to the layout of the planner and the system really worked for me. The OC in me, I decided to make my own and printed on a similar paper and I liked it! Now, I can use this planner over and over. Will just print the refills yearly and I am perfectly OK with it. :)


I actually thought of printing refills and selling them to those who would like to re-use their 2008 Starbucks planner with a personalized refill but work filled up my time at 'di ko na na-career! :) I'll just make sure next year to move the dates a bit to the right coz when I punched the fillers, this is how it looks like! nyay!

Thank you, Mahal! :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Liza DATE:May 18, 2009 at 1:14 AM Naku Airees, I did the same thing to my 2008 Starbucks planner! Actually, recycled it to be my scrap/personal planner. I actually had 3 of these in 2008, 2 from Nelo and 1 from my bestfriend. This was the best Starbucks planner for me. Naku, I'll definitely be getting a filler from you for 2010 if you do decide to create one. Great to see you blogging again. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Busy Hands DATE: 5:01 PM ----- BODY:
It was raining hard yesterday and kids had nothing to do but watch, play with their toys and eat! This summer I tried to be more lenient with them which means no fixed schedule except their daily Kumon worksheets. I just let them play and recently, helped out in the kitchen baking cookies and cupcakes.

Vcoy knows how to fix our bed and he's gotten used to it that one day I automatically fixed it (coz I used to do it myself) and he complained. He asked me why I fixed the bed when he is the one to do it! Oo nga naman....si Mommy hindi consistent! :)

Meanwhile, Loui's task is to help clean up the dining table after lunch and sometimes, dinner, since she's ALWAYS the last one to finish! We've been recording her eating time for a year now to prepare her when she enters big school but sadly, on the scale of 1-10, maybe a 1 would do. Both of them wash their own glass every after meal.

Every afternoon they let their rabbit out in the garden for some stretching :) Ikaw ba naman ang ikulong sa cage the 1 buong araw pag hindi ka ni-rayuma! hehe! Afterwards, its patintero time with our neighbors - from the kids to the yayas to yours truly! I can say that my kids learn more about Filipino when they play with the other kids and its good that they learn to play patintero. I grew up playing the game and its a wonderful childhood memory that I also want my children to have when they grow older.

Yesterday, while my kids were watching tv, Loui, always with busy hands, made this:



She has a gift and we want to nurture it even if it means marker stains on her clothes and our bedsheets, ok lang! I keep all her drawings and would love someday to compile all of them in one book. :)
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: I don't have any good title for this blog entry... DATE: 4:22 AM ----- BODY:
Been feeling under the weather for the past days....physically, I feel so drained with work though it hasn't been really that toxic. Its when I have long days of official vacation when I feel so tired doing nothing! My usual migraine attacked last week and it lasted for 4 days. I can feel that its still there but enough to tolerate it without taking any meds.

Most of the things on my to-do list have not been checked due changes in schedule with hubby having gastroenteritis and I have to accompany him for check-up. Good thing he's doing ok now and most likely will report to work tomorrow. I, on the other hand, still have my neck pain and I feel warm...parang magkaka-flu ako! Nyay!

I don't want to stay in bed because all the more I will feel sick. So I started going through my piles of paper & stuff in my home-office which I started spring cleaning last week. With good music playing in the background, I finished cleaning my room finally! It feels so good getting rid of stuff lying around accumulating dust and taking up space. I think I'm off for a fresh start.

And speaking of fresh start, a few things will be unfolding in the coming days... work, kids, etc., which I am so excited to share here. :) For now, just want to share this layout I made last year! Yep, last year. Thanks to my dear friend Anj. If not for her birthday celebration, I would not have scrapped 2 layouts in 2008. Haha!
My last layout for 2008 was in honor of my parents. They may not be the perfect couple but in 42 years that they have been married, they finally realized that they cannot live without each other - warts and all! ;)
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: How do I look? :) DATE: 2:40 AM ----- BODY:
I'm currently tweaking my blog design (again!). I'm in the mood for updating my website and blog with all the design goodies from this.... such an eye candy! Thanks to Rhonna Farrer for this beautiful blogger header & background.

Comments/suggestions are welcome except on the title! I know, I know...its looks awful. :) Well, I just wanted to use my Wacom tablet that is begging me to use her for the longest time! More practice.....haha!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Carrie Marcelo-Cordero DATE:April 28, 2009 at 10:23 AM nice to see you blogging again airees! miss you dear :D ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: My mobile phone was stolen! DATE: 5:32 AM ----- BODY:
EDITED March 23 - My Globe # has been RESTORED but you can still contact me thru my other numbers. Thanks!


Just when I have the time to post on my blog again it would have to be a sad news :(

Just today, after watching Christian Bautista at Robinson's Place with my kids, I noticed my trusty N73 & camera case were stolen from my bag! :( I was holding the camera and we were about to leave the mall. My bag's zipper was half-open and it was just a split second. I had the bag infront of me but for the very short moment when I lifted my arm to take a quick shot of Christian, GONE! Oh well, I am just sad more so because of the contact numbers, pictures & videos I have in it. :(

Anyway, the number 09178132821 is temporarily disconnected (I had the phone cancelled. Good thing I had the IMEI # with me). It will be restored within the week but you may contact me thru my other mobile # 0922-248-3456 or landline 517-3742. Thank you!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lee i. DATE:March 15, 2009 at 6:23 AM so sorry to hear about your cellphone. ang bilis ng mga magnanakaw ngayon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mia Castrillo DATE:March 16, 2009 at 3:46 AM Hay, I lost my cellphone also a few months back. Super hassle no? hope you're ok now. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Your Friendly Online Hobby Bookstore! DATE:March 17, 2009 at 3:06 AM hay, mine was stolen a few weeks ago. You knew about that. Sigh. Glad you're okay and unharmed. I'll email you my number. Take care! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Rhonna Farrer DATE:March 31, 2009 at 2:43 PM so sorry to hear about your phone.
hope you get this in time to pop over at midnight (MST) for a special surprise! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Blog Awards DATE: 4:59 AM ----- BODY:
A good friend Mia gave me these awards. Thanks, Mia, for remembering me (even if I rarely update this blog! hehe)I need to mention 5 addictions and pass on to 5 bloggers:

I'm addicted to:
1) chocolates + coke - they are my "rewards" for a day of work

2) books, magazines, journals - i'm OC when it comes to my books & magazines: i like them arranged neatly and in order in my bookshelf. I don't like them to have creases.

3) scrapbooking stuff, cute papers, especially handmade papers - obvious ba?!

4) my computer + internet - i need these to run my business

5) right now, i'm into gel pens, glitter pens in different colors!

Most of the friends have this award already, so just consider yourself tagged by me. :)


----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mia Castrillo DATE:January 25, 2009 at 4:35 PM Hi Airees! At least may nasulat ka na sa blog mo. Hahaha! Miss you girl! Hope to see you in CDO soon! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Au Lim DATE:March 13, 2009 at 5:56 PM thanks for the visit! yung wheatgrass seeds, juicer and the trays, i got from my SIL's friend Lily. I haven't met her personally because i just ask SIL to buy for me. But Alby bought from her too. Her cell number is this: 0917-9158670.

The soil naman, i found the best at Green2000 Garden Center found inside the Manila Seedling Complex (cor of EDSA and Quezon Ave. so you can miss it). Ang name ng soil is Buhaghag propagation mix. You can use regular soil din pero mas madali lang kasi yung mix and its very consistent. Green 2000 also have wheatgrass implements but i found Lily's supplies and seeds to be better. So yun lang and have a great day :-D ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: New Year, New Address... DATE: 10:49 PM ----- BODY:
First of all, a prosperous New Year to all of you! Kung Hei Fat Choi na din! :)

Nope, we didn't change residence but our showroom did, its actually Alain & Mhay's new venture - from Matus Jewellery they evolved their shop into a wedding boutique to cater to soon-to-wed couples everything they need from invitations to give-aways. I am very happy to be a part of the showroom. My samples can now be viewed there, 7 days a week, mall hours.


We had our showroom blessing last Friday, Jan.16, but I was not able to come due to migraine + vertigo. Driving all by myself to Manila is not a good idea so I just stayed at home.

On the homefront, seems like the flu virus is just going around the household, blame it on the cold weather we are experiencing right now. Maybe that 's the way it is - you get cool weather but with a bonus virus! I am just glad that the kids have recovered fast enough in time for their school exams.

On the business side, work has been busy after New Year... I cannot complain. I get excited on new projects, new clients... that's the beauty of what I do - it is never boring! :) I would love to update my blog and even start a new blog dedicated to my business but I just don't have the powers right now. FOCUS has been my word since 2008 and it still is this year.

For now, will have to wrap up the production this week and start on new projects, too. I just hope my Globe broadband will be up very soon since we don't have internet connection for almost a week now!!! Haaayyy....
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mia Castrillo DATE:January 19, 2009 at 12:40 AM Congrats on the new showroom Airees! More power to you and your business! :-) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Merry Christmas!!! DATE: 6:38 PM ----- BODY:
So much happenings, so much work to be done but loving every minute of it even if sometimes I'm on my wits' end!

Just droppin' by to wish you all a very meaningful Christmas and a hopeful New Year to all of you from our family:


I know I've been a bad blogger but will be back soon. :) Happy Holidays!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Nina DATE:December 25, 2008 at 9:49 PM Hi, Airees! Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful Christmas season and more blessings of peace, love, joy and hope in the coming New Year! =)

*hugs*
Nina ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Cookie Aguilar DATE:January 1, 2009 at 8:47 PM Hi Airees!!!
Miss you na!!! sana kitakits tayo soon!!! miss chatting with you!! I hope all is well with you and your family... wishing you more blessing this coming year. Keep in touch always!!!
-Cookie ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lee i. DATE:January 1, 2009 at 8:53 PM Happy new year Airees. May you be showered with more blessings this year. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Why we need to be "green"? DATE: 7:29 AM ----- BODY:
No, I'm not talking about being a green-minded or to be a La Sallian (though I am one or even both! haha! Joke!). Being green is to be conscious of our impact to the environment and in what ways we can do our share to help save this awesome planet.

Stronger typhoons, extreme weather conditions like massive flooding, severe drought in unusual places, melting of polar ice caps, among other things happening around the world, are the results of human activity - dumping more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We must now CLEAN OUR ACT or let our children suffer the consequences.

Ever since I got into handmade papers, I became more aware of the term sustainable development, environment-friendly processes, fair-trading and NGOs (non-government organizations). I became an advocate of buying Filipino handmade products and going for greener practices. What I, together with my family and staff, do may not have a huge impact to save the earth but at least we do our share and also to become good examples to our children.

* garbage sorting -> recyclables (paper, plastic, metal, glass), biodegradables (for compost)
* converting our ornamental garden into a vegetable garden
* unplugging unused appliances
* consuming locally-produced organic brown rice and lesser red meat
* no to plastic bags as much as possible when we buy from the market
* no to styrophor products and yes to reusable containers
* replacing all incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
* I have yet to pass the "bill" to our house of congress (my bossing) to replace our 13 year old refrigerator and air-con!

Also, buying locally-made products is one practice we try to promote in our family and my clients and friends. Especially this time of financial crisis worldwide, we need to support our local producers and exporters (exports are down when there is a slowdown in economic activity in the world market). Not only we cut down on the need to transport goods (hence, reducing fuel consumption = less carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere), we help our Filipino businessmen thrive in the business which in turn help sustain or better, provide more jobs to our fellow Pinoys. I will expound on this on my next post.

And so, last Friday, I took one step to become greener. I signed up with Greenpeace to take part in protecting our environment. Upon signing up, I was given a Simple Lang pamphlet - simple ways on Energy ([R]evolution - and a brochure about the organization.

When my youngest saw the pamphlet, she began reading it and asking why's and what's. Of course, conversations like this excites me! The more you talk to me about what interests me, the more daldal (talkative) I get! Haha! :) The she asked about what is incandescent bulb and CFL's so we went to the kitchen and showed her a rarely, if not, used bulb that her Lolo Duddy installed ages ago. She said "Oh, that's bad. That bulb eats up more energy!" Then I showed her what CFL is in our bathroom then she said, "This is better!" So now, my 6-year old daughter knows the difference between an incandescent bulb and CFL.


And I thought, am I seeing a future Greenpeace activist in da house???? :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous samjuan DATE:November 20, 2008 at 10:15 AM Agree ako sa mga sinabi mo kabayan!
Go green! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Update DATE: 9:39 PM ----- BODY:
On bullying, Kulas does not bully Vcoy anymore. Maybe he learned his lesson. I'm happy that everything's ok now and my son is always coming home happy with stories of how his day at school went by. I guess he just have to go through it but as his mother, I'd still want to protect him and be there for him as long as I can. Protect does not mean I will never let those things to happen on him. But just to be there for him when he cries, when he's afraid, to assure him that I will be there for him even just to comfort him.

I'm still stucked with my sub-topics...I don't know. I lost focus. There's a lot going on my mind! :( Hay, the challenge of working at home, you wear different hats all at the same time! But life for me would be oh so boring without the adrenaline rush I get in this set-up! hehe! Oh well, I have to wrap up this post so I can look for my mojo....:)

EDITED: I finally discovered brushes in Photoshop! It may be trivial to you but for me, its one step further. I've been wondering for the longest time how to load/use brushes but I never really tried doing it. Tsk! Tsk! I could have learned it 2 years ago if only I tried it hands-on. Oh well, its not yet too late. :) Back to work!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mia Castrillo DATE:October 9, 2008 at 9:15 PM hi airees! glad to hear na vcoy is ok na. hirap maging mommy no? nadine is already in grade 1 and iba na ang mga classmates niya, not like in pre school. you really want to protect them but you can only do so much. and i guess they have to learn for themselves din. i make sure lang na open ang lines of communication namin and that she can talk to us about anything all the time. :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Alby DATE:October 16, 2008 at 8:14 AM Oh wow! Brushes! Try to get one of those Fresh Foliage brushes. They're the same ones as the Fontwerks stamps. I love them!

I'm glad Vcoy is fine. Must be tough to see your kid go through these experiences. Prayer would be your best weapon. Entrust them to God and He will take him under His wings. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Productive on the 1st day of the week - check! Bullied for the 1st time = check! DATE: 5:07 AM ----- BODY:
Last week was one of those weeks when my brain and hands do not seem to get along. :) So many ideas and plans but all of them are just random bits and pieces.... on my thesis proposal, business, activities to do with the kids, even my mental to-do-list-before-i-die! I tried to put them in writing but I ended up with more to-do lists! Overwhelming...felt like drowning in my own doing. I just had to pull out myself. I need to FOCUS so I thought hey maybe I'll just slow down a bit and re-align myself.

And so I did. I just did a little bit of design, a little bit of proofing. For my thesis, I was stucked! I just can't seem to figure out what are the sub-topics of my thesis! There's so many things going on my mind about my thesis but when I start to write them down, wah, as in wala ako masulat! :(

Weekend came, still no output. I do work a bit but nothing I expect I could do in a week's time. Instead, I just bonded with the family which is equally, rather more important than I mentioned above. Vcoy just had his Monthly Test and he needed to relax and just have fun playing. Loui improved a teeny weeny bit on her eating time (< style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Monday morning Things are going pretty well even if I feel a little dizzy in the morning. Emails answered, designs and samples were sent. Job orders prepared. Production began. Working on my sub-topics. Exciting!

Monday afternoon

Vcoy came home with a swollen upper lip. We thought he's having an allergy/asthma attack. We were advised by his pulmonologist that symptom like this needs immediate attention. He must be brought to the hospital because his allergy might spread on his windpipe/throat (basta sa leeg!) and he might have difficulty breathing. I was about to give him his asthma medicine before bringing him to the hospital when I asked him what happened. "Do you have allergy? What happened to your lips?" I think I was more tensed than him.
"No, Mommy, Kulas (not his real name) punched me!" Whaaatttt???? Then, I think I asked a lot of questions one after another. I can feel my blood pressure going up. But when I noticed tears are welling in his eyes, I told myself "DON'T PANIC! Breathe in, breathe out. All the more you are scaring him." And so I told him we're just gonna talk later. Just take a rest and eat his merienda.

While we were having our snack together, I asked him casually why did Kulas punched him? Did he do something wrong that would make Kulas punch him? He said no. Then he began talking.... "He's been bullying me for some time now. He would always tease me I'm panget (ugly) because I have bulok teeth!" Frankly, his teeth are not as in bulok. He's just starting to develop some permanent teeth. Of course, sino bang hindi naging bulok ang ipin nya at one point in his life! Grrr! Kakagigil ung Kulas na un ah, I thought. But of course, I cannot show my son my "immature" side. Pero kung ako lang talaga, at kung pwede lang, kukutusan ko talaga yung batang yun! Sarap sakalin! ;)

You might say I'm immature but for a mother like me, I don't think so! Who wouldn't like her son to be punched by some bully kid for no reason at all? I know my son very well. He's not the type of kid who bullies other kids. He may be hyper, makulit pero mababaw lang kaligayahan nya. He's basically a happy kid - always smiling, palabati even the parents of his classmates tell me so (I was surprised when I went to the Accounting office of CSA the cashier knows him! She said Vcoy never fails to say "Hi" to her after class!). He is a very sweet to all of us...a gentle creature.

So I called up Kulas' adviser and told her what happened. I took pictures of Vcoy's swollen upper lip but only after 2.5 hrs have past. Kainis! I did not thought about it the moment I knew what happened. Nevertheless, I have documented it and I have proof of what Kulas did to him. So you Moms out there, God forbid, if this happens to your kid, grab that camera and take pictures so you have proof.

The adviser assured me that they will investigate the case and talk to both children and appropriate disciplinary action will be given to Kulas. I told her that I am ready for a conference with the teachers and the parent of Kulas and I have photos of Vcoy's swollen lips as proof of what Kulas did to him.

Realization

We prepared ourselves that our children will experience a lot of good and bad things in school or wherever they may be. That's part of life. No matter how much we wanted to protect them from any harm some things are meant to be experienced by them and only them. We, as parents, are just there to assure them that no matter what we LOVE them. We may not be always be there physically to shield them from harm but at the end of the day our children can run to as and we, in turn, will embrace them lovingly with open arms.

We planted seeds of good manners to our kids because we want them to be good persons throughout their lives...God-fearing, can speak out their minds but at the same time responsible for their actions.

While Vcoy and I are studying, he told me out of the blue "Mommy, I miss my old classmates." (referring to his classmates in pre-school). Then I began to explain to him that his former classmates also feel that way because they are also in other big schools. They also miss him just as much as he misses them. I can feel what he is trying to tell me and so I hugged him and said, "Kuya, you will experience a lot of good and bad things in school. But no matter what happens, always remember that Mommy, Daddy, all of us love you. Some kids are just bullies but don't mind them. Stay away from them if you can but then you also have to learn to protect yourself. You have lots of other good friends in school, right? Just don't be like the bullies." And he told me, "...because Jesus can see us...what we do..., right Mommy?"

Yeah...if only we keep that in mind ALWAYS then this world would be a much better place, isn't it?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lee i. DATE:October 17, 2008 at 1:20 AM Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about the bullying incident. It's true, syempre first instinct natin as parents is to protect our child di ba? Lalo na if we raise them to be kind and gentle human beings. Nakakakulo talaga ng dugo. But we also have to hope we brought them up well enough to deal with negative stuff on their own. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Natatawa ako! Hahaha! >:) DATE: 2:59 AM ----- BODY:
What a lame title you might think but its just how I feel today....

I started the day with a prayer and a promise to myself that I will be productive this week...tama na yung petiks petiks last weekend (as in BB = buhay baboy = kain, tulog, snack, nuod tv, kain ulet). Had my try to have a healthy breakfast of whole wheat bread but with a gracious spread of Queensland butter. hehehe. You see, I'm just trying to eat healthy here but I cannot take whole wheat bread, plain, just like that. I felt like eating a cup of brown rice with no viand! So, I promised bosing that I will eat whole wheat bread BUT with butter. Bahala na kung kelan ko ma-take na tanggalin ang butter! :) At least I made a small step in eating healthier foods. nyay!

After breakfast, checked my emails, logged on to my ym to greet bosing good morning before he goes on to his presentation today... (no, he's not actor but a part of his job is to convince their client that the project they are working on is moving ie., nagtatrabaho naman sila, hehehe). Then I checked my favorite blogs then checked my lotto ticket if I already won 65M. Hmmm, I only got 2 numbers. The rest are either 1 number away or simply not just my number! Oh well, I am 1 day closer to my lotto jackpot. (Btw, I am not a regular lotto player. Just when I see an outlet and have some money to spare that I get to play and dream to win.)

While surfing the blogosphere, I was multitasking - working on my weekly to-do list, updating my planner and listening to old OPM songs which bosing gave me yesterday. Hmm...quite productive huh until I stumbled upon abuggedlife's entry - the winners from the recently concluded PBA2 (Philippine Blog Awards 2). And so I bloghopped from 1 winner blog to another. From an OFW blog to a call center agent's blog, I had fun reading all of them. Why? Because their blogs are real-life accounts of Pinoys here or abroad, OFW or yuppies, inglesero or jologs, mix-mix! Some really made me laugh, others made me think, some are simply prolific, some simply annoying because of cursing here and there. But overall, I had fun.

Oh, and before I end this entry, maraming salamat to lolo duddy & lala for sending a box of goodies (read: sangkatutak na chocolates at kung anu-anu pang pampa-hyper!) to us. Special mention to lolo duddy for not forgetting my Noni's biscotti and my dried maple leaves. Yes, real maple leaves. I use them for my limited edition (naks!) autumn-inspired invites. Hmmm...amoy isteyts! haha!

As for my work, I managed to revise submitted 4 drafts to my clients while bloghopping. My to-do list, well, that's what I will work on next after posting this!
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: "Be the change you want to see in this world" - Gandhi DATE: 8:09 AM ----- BODY:
Two days ago, I got a call from a groom-to-be inquiring about the possibility of supplying them with handmade paper envelopes & backing for their invitation. They will be printing their own invite which was done digitally but they wanted to convey a "green wedding" theme to their invite.

Every time I encounter people who are eco-conscious, especially soon-to-weds looking specifically for handmade paper invitations, I get ecstatic because this is what our country and the whole world needs - a breed of people wanting to change the world in their own little ways. I can't help but give the groom a "little" background of our handmade papers, its impact on our environment and in the lives of the people who were once displaced by a civil war in Mindanao. In my own little way, I wanted him to know that his payment for the invitations that I will make will not only benefit myself but it goes a long way. How?

I employ 2.5 people (the 0.5 is my yaya who part-times in my business handling our inventory :) ) and they have their family to support to back home. As for me, this little business that I have not only brings a little livelihood for myself but this has been my passion, my creative outlet, the one who brought back my self-esteem. Its a long story but lets just leave it at that :)

Going back, patronizing our Philippine handmade paper means we are helping these people to earn a living not just for the workers but also their families who depend on them. At the same time, MSMEs help fuel our economy and help ease our labor problem. On the environmental aspect, these papers are TREE-FREE (you may also want to check out my blog action day entry here), meaning, trees were not cut (= no deforestation = no floods). We use abaca, salago & cogon grass instead. Cogon grass used to be a waste grass but has become useful in handmade paper -making.

So what could be better than this? Environment-friendly + job creation + unique & personalized

Problem is AWARENESS. In the wedding industry, for the past 7 years that I've been doing this, I can say that somehow I made a mark in the handcrafted, handmade paper invitation category because I stick it out in using Philippine handmade paper (not Thailand or India handmade papers pls.) and as much as possible using indigenous materials (Pinoy-made) to help other small businesses, too. But with the advent of digital printing, cheaper imported commercial papers, other printers can come up with really cheap prices of invites but with quality indeed. I cannot really compete with that since handmade paper alone is not cheap as commercial paper + the fact that we are fair-traders.

{ When you choose commercial paper...}

Commercial papers usually contain virgin pulps from trees. Some contain 30% post-consumer waste (pulp from recycled paper products) which is a good thing BUT STILL they still contain virgin pulps from trees.

The production process may or may not be environmentally-friendly (depending on what country and IF the manufacturers follow strict guidelines in production ie., how do they handle post-production waste? are the workers properly protected during production? Are they fairly compensated?)

Most commercial papers here are imported. When we import, we shell out needed $ (that our country needs) and we give "livelihood" big companies abroad. If only we buy Filipino then the money could have been paid to Filipino business that in turn employ Filipinos, too. Of course, you may say that the import taxes also help our government (o "government people"?)in a way but that is quite a big ? for me. Anyway, in my opinion, I think buying locally far outweighs importing (& paying import taxes daw) in terms of livelihood it gives to our people. On the environment aspect, importing means we use more fuel/energy than buying locally.

In printing the invites, I do hope more and more printing presses will use soy-based inks instead of the hazardous chemical inks.

In fairness, digital or offset invitations can take so many beautiful forms - in the design, colors, shapes - that handmade paper counterpart cannot really compete (i ran out of word other than this) to. But as I always say, I don't compete with them...I have a league of my own...we cater to people who appreciate handmade things, eco-conscious and personalized service. People who want to be a change in this world.

So, going back to the groom, we ended up talking longer than the usual inquiry thing... how they (bride & groom) want not just to have a "green" wedding but throughout their lives. Its so nice to meet people who have the same wavelength as yours...it is mentally stimulating and makes you feel that you are not alone in your environmental campaign. And just like what Optimus Prime said "....we are here...we are waiting."

Think Green!
----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: A Carrot, An Egg, And A Cup Of Coffee... DATE: 4:52 AM ----- BODY:


A friend of mine sent me this today. This is something I need these days. Hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did. You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

* * * * * * * * * *

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling.. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs ou t and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see..' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong , hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the e boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff ? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?!

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest,
do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to
keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything ng; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let goof your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

I am posting this message to those people who mean to me; to those who have touched my life in one way or another; to those who make me smile when I really need it; to those who make me see the brighter side of things when I am really down; to those whose friendships I appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in my life.

May we all be COFFEE!

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lee i. DATE:September 27, 2008 at 2:16 AM Hi Airees, I haven't blog-hopped for a long time, but I am glad this is the first entry I read today. Thank you for sharing this. After the events of the past week, I hope to be coffee...even if I don't drink it. Hahaha. have a nice weekend! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: The Biggest Wedding Fair of the Year DATE: 11:34 PM ----- BODY:


----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Now it can be told.... (a long post!) DATE: 2:50 AM ----- BODY:
First of all, a huge THANK YOU and SORRY to anyone who visited my blog only to find out that I haven't updated it in ages! :(

From my last post, I thought I was ready to come back into scrapping and blogging but I wasn't. I had thoughts running across my mind wanting to tell the universe whatever I wanted to share but when I log on to my blogger, I just can't.

On the scrapping scene, I haven't scrapped in months! I just don't have the mojo to create and I feel like I'm an outcast in the local scrapbooking groups...I'm not sure why I feel this but maybe because I chose not to be in the scene. Why? Its not because of anyone or anything. I just had to trim down my priorities and activities which finally became clear to me after I came back from the states. Those are: my kids' schooling, my business and my own studies. Yes, I went back to school.

Sometime in May when I drove hubby to a job interview, I visited my school which is a few blocks away. At first, I went to the other school (CSB) to inquire about their design courses but thoughts of going back to Main came across since I know I still have an unfinished business there. I am 9 units + thesis away from my Computer Science degree. Its a long story as to why it took me so long in this course (thesis group problems, business and eventually getting married + being a mother to 2) but all I can say is I've never been a bum! I lived a fulfilling life, a so-called career maybe (if putting up 2 businesses count) and being there for my children in the first 7 years of their lives full-time in a way since I work at home. I didn't regret anything... I just couldn't stand leaving my very young children then to the care of the nanny.

I really believe that God has His own plans for us... He is the Master Planner of our lives. Just when I thought I will never pursue my course till the end, an idle time led me to pay a visit to my school and inquire if I can still enroll. "We are just waiting for you to come back....Immortal ka na dito, we cannot deny you enrolment." These words as spoken by the Vice-Dean's Academic Assistant. And as if everything fell into place, they gave me the forms to have them signed that day and asked me to come back since 2 of the 3 remaining subjects would be special classes since they don't offer it anymore.

After hubby's job interview, I told him about it and he was the usual very supportive husband. I love my husband! :) Kids are now older, 6 & 7, one in big school and 1 in prep and spend most of the time in school so Mommy can now also spend some time in school! And a blessing indeed that I only get to go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the 3 subjects (2 were 1x a week only) so it wouldn't take a lot of my time for the kids' homework & reviews plus a time for me to work on my business.

And so, that is WHY I have been MIA on this blog. I realized I have to trim down my activities and priorities FOR NOW because I need to FOCUS on what matters most at hand. And I guess I have succeeded so far because I finally made it!!!! I finished my 3 subjects for this term with flying colors!!!! Yahooo!!!!! Hahahaha! I cried last week after my project defense that required me to learn and make a courseware in Adobe Flash in 2 weeks time! It was indeed a fast 1st term for me. Time quickly passed by and now I am done with the 9 units! But its not yet finished... I still have to work on my thesis which is a teachware using Adobe Flash that I have to defend by March 2009. So my blogging here is just the time I have for now before I start to work on my thesis. I am positive and more than inspired to work on it though since it will involve my passions: designing, the environment and teaching. So pray for me so I will have the strength to do this. The finished project will (I hope) be a significant contribution to what our world needs today - environmental awareness and teaching our kids about it.

For the past months, I didn't subscribe to the yahoogroups so I am unaware of what's happening in the scrapping arena. I only get to read some blogs of friends, oh how I miss them! But I am contented for now just to read their blogs, see their beautiful creations. Sometimes the feeling of guilt & littleness (if there's a word) creeps in but I keep in mind that each has her own world, I have mine and I have a set of priorities that I need to focus for now. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if I make a layout or 2, but I will only do it if and when I feel like doing it, not because of whatever outside pressure.

On the homefront, kids are doing fine. Vcoy is in CSA and he's now enjoying it though the first 2 weeks were torture for him (waking up early, the long bus ride, writing a lot!) but hubby is right, he just have to go through it to learn. (my heart breaks when I see him still sleepy during breakfast but I learned also). Loui is becoming more and more creative (like mommy!) - doodling, cartooning, anything that will keep her hands busy. They were supportive also of my schooling especially the last 2 weeks when I was working on my Flash project. They were my UATs (User Acceptance Testing). Now, they are happier to see me everyday when they come home from school.

On the business side, I'm officially back to work preparing for our exhibit at the Wedding Expo Philippines this weekend. Its the start of the wedding season in the Philippines so things will be busier around here.

Whew! Thank you for reading this (do I still have readers here???). Hopefully I get to update this regularly. Cheers to more blogposts!!! :) And lastly, I just want to share with you the splash screen content I made in my project:

"Be the change you wish to see in this world." - Gandhi

Labels:

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:September 2, 2008 at 4:21 AM finally, a post! :)

thanks for sharing your journey, Airees! good luck with your thesis! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anna Zalamea DATE:September 4, 2008 at 2:57 AM Airees, I am so happy and proud of you for going back to finish your courses. That takes a lot of commitment especially with so much going on in your life! Good luck on your thesis! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous pigmentations DATE:September 18, 2008 at 2:55 AM hey, airees! glad you are slowly inching your way into the groove of things. and you're back to school! YAY! bilib ako sa iyo, goodluck is in order.

just pop in anytime there's an EB. "belong na belong" ka pa din, sister :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Liza DATE:September 24, 2008 at 10:42 PM hi airees! congrats on finishing your corse. one more hurdle and you are officially a graduate! super happy for you for finally fulfilling that chapter in your life.

and it's definitely even great to be "hearing" from you again. we miss you in the groups. we definitely would love to see you back!

good luck on the thesis, ilang buwan na lang yan. hope to see you around soon! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Trifold DATE: 8:23 PM ----- BODY:
For the past 2 weeks, I and my staff are working on 2 big orders from the U.S. Coincidentally, both brides are from California and invite style they wanted was also the same but the colors are different. This is actually another version of my "Natasha" invite which I originally designed for an Australian client. As much as I wanted to make each piece of my work unique, some clients wanted to use my existing design. However, I still make it unique but applying some touches on it.

The first bride's color motif is purple, sage green & ecru. But honestly, even if you tell me sage green, apple green, celadon green - I cannot really tell exactly which is which because for every client that I encountered, they have their own version of green, whatever shade it is! So what I do is to let them choose among our green swatches. :)


For the inserts, I used our off-white handmade paper embedded with sweet honesty flowers (statis in the native dialect).













The tri-fold envelope has 3 kinds embedded flowers in it - statis, seruwalai & i-still-can't-remember-that-yellow-flower's-name! They add depth on the paper and the fibers add texture and the handmade feel. The green border thingy is actually another piece of paper that serves as a mat.

This kind of invitation is more labor-intensive since I have to adhere everything on the green mat but its ok with me. That's part of the process. :)

On my next post I'll show the plum & fuschia version of this 6"x8" trifold invite. Gotta go for a delivery.

Labels: , ,

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:May 23, 2008 at 11:01 AM Airees, that invite is really lovely! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Tadaah!!! My First Canvass Painting! :) DATE: 8:35 PM ----- BODY:
Growing up as a kid, I've dreamed of one day having my own painting, even just 1! In 1991, I tried painting names of my college friend in watercolor and tracing paper and gave them as gifts. Those were the days when painting was my outlet - you know, teenage life... instead of being a drama queen, painting somehow calmed me.

Years passed by and with a course that demands the maximum use of my left brain pulled me away from my creative pursuits. I used to bake, paint, sew, draw (but not really D-R-A-W ha, I was happy with my stick people!). It was when I put up my desktop publishing shop (1994-2000) that I rediscovered my love for designing. After getting married and becoming pregnant with my 1st baby that I began to work with my hands again, this time not just the mouse but with scissors, glue, punchers, etc. Its another story.... :) Anyway, without further adieu, here is my first canvass. Thanks to Claudine Hellmuth for the inspiration. But this is far from her work! (drum roll please...hahaha!)



Everybody in the household laughed at it! Loui, my girl, likes it but she said "Mommy, it looks funny!" and Vcoy's reaction when he saw it and I asked him if he likes it: "yeaaaaaahhhhh" (parang napilitan lang sya!). I even offered my staff that they will be my next "guinea pigs", hahaha! "Thanks, but no thanks!", they said.


I can almost see you grinning from ear to ear right now. Yeah, it really IS funny! For one, my legs are awful! Looks like I have rheumatoid arthritis! I can't even draw decent feet! Oh well... BUT I am happy with it. I enjoyed the process. The feelings I used to have back in college while I was painting came back. That feeling of being free to do whatever you like, just going with the flow, drawing again (this is my "next" attempt from stick people!)

But I know I still have lots to learn....more canvasses and paints to waste (not really as in waste, since I'd still be keeping them)...more "guinea pigs" to use, haha! Would you like to be one? :)

Labels:

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:May 23, 2008 at 11:01 AM very nice work of art ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Au Lim DATE:June 17, 2008 at 8:03 PM hey this is cute! and yes, it reminds me of Claudine Helmuth whose work i adore, too! Cool job here, Airees! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Busy day DATE: 5:22 AM ----- BODY:
Today is printing day! My printer churned out hundreds of pages for the invitations I am making. Though it is due not 'til next week, I just can't seem to move on to my other TO-DOs without finishing this. Have pending emails to reply to, designs to work on, aaghh! No, I am not complaining...in fact I love the adrenalin rush. But there are times like this when my mind and body don't like to multi-task! :)

On the homefront, I am now working on my newly-painted home-office cum studio. I have my own tv & dvd player to keep me company at times. At least, I can work while I watch my favorite shows (and not Nick Jr. or Disney Channel playing on the background!) But I noticed that my kids also started hanging out more often here than in our bedroom! And what do they do here? Play PSP or watch Disney Channel, Nick Jr., NG & Discovery! Oh well, I guess it comes in the package when you work at home. :)

I tweaked some stuff here on my blog to make it more "presentable". I managed to add a quote. Still have to work on some graphic stuffs & the links but that can wait. Tomorrow will be some more printing then I'm off to work on designs and emails. I'm totally excited to get my hands dirty on a new medium that I'll be trying. Will let you know about it when I have come up with something I can show you.

Labels:

----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Time for a change... DATE: 9:30 AM ----- BODY:
Haaayyy!!! The OC in me wanted to change the look of my blog for the longest time but I don't have the luxury of time to work on it. Today, after finishing printing, I told myself that I will finally work on this. After 6 hours of making the new header and tinkering with html, this is what I got - haaayyyy!!!! Well at least I took the first step. I still wanted to add a few graphics, credits for the digital elements (shabbyprinces.com), update the links & post the big question is when??? Well I do hope to update my blog more often. Let's see...

Anyway, lately, I'm into aqua and white. I even painted my home-office with it and even our bedroom but added pink to add some girly touch to our room. I guess the colors reflect the way I feel (and wanted to feel) - calm, peaceful and simple. :)

Labels:

----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Hello!!! DATE: 4:09 PM ----- BODY:
How have you been? Its been quite a while since I last posted here. As I've said in my last post, I will be leaving for a while but now... I'M BACK!!!

Thanks to all those who emailed me, left messages on my cbox. Sorry if I was not able to reply to everyone. Give me some time to work on my new blog and postings as I need to catch up with emails and designs.

There is really no place like home....

Check back soon! :)

Labels:

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Alby DATE:March 5, 2008 at 4:12 AM Welcome back Airees!!! Just in time, too. Hope to see you in upcoming events - EB, Scrapfest, etc. Can't wait to read your stories about your "absence". :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Liza DATE:March 12, 2008 at 10:49 PM glad to "see" you back airees! hope all is well with you & your family. can't wait to read up on your life updates and posts. take care! :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:March 16, 2008 at 11:36 PM Welcome back, Airees!!! How have you been? Hope to see more updates from you! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Leaving for a while.... DATE: 7:13 PM ----- BODY:
Maybe you are wondering why I haven't updated my blog....I'm taking time off from scrapping to focus on personal matters & my invitation business (will create a separate blog soon). I hope to be back but maybe not soon.

Thank you to all friends who left a message, visited my site or emailed me. Thanks!

Labels:

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous marjorie DATE:January 23, 2008 at 11:10 PM hey sis! ano b yan, i was feeling excited when i saw ur gdt work at scrapbukan..i was telling myself, yaaay, she's back! BUT, i admire you for being able to prioritize...good luck and looking forward to your other blog... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:January 26, 2008 at 6:25 AM hey Airees! good luck on all your endeavors! hope all is well! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Airees TITLE: Problem with my HEAD-er DATE: 3:53 PM ----- BODY:
I have migraine for the longest time but this time its not my "head" that is giving me headaches but my header (look up, yup, that's it!). :) I made it in Photoshop 1280x250 but it seems like it has a mind of its own! Its still small. I tried changing the template but it became worse - it was on the left side na while last night it was at the center. Waaahhhhh!!!!! My friend Diane already tweaked it but its still the same.

I know..."don't sweat the small stuff" but the OC in me.....aaagghh! Anyway, I'll leave it as is for now while I continue to work on some creative (hay salamat!) stuff due TODAY! I managed to finish 3 cards last night but I still 4 more to go & layouts. I feel like my scrapping mojo is coming back but with my folks flying in on Friday, I will have to shelve my scrapping chuvaness for a while to spend time with them.

5 more days before Christmas!!!!!

Labels:

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Mari DATE:December 20, 2007 at 11:52 PM I tried to work on my header tonight, but I changed my mind. I might screw it up, so I'll just leave it alone. Yours looks okay to me. You must be a perfectionist like me. LOL

I'm bloghopping from Kneeko. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Christine DATE:December 24, 2007 at 10:56 PM I think your header looks fine, Airees!

Merry Christmas to you and yours! ----- --------