misadventures of a scatterbrained bride

goodbye...

2009-06-04T18:19:00.005+08:00

The bridal gown is all cleaned and packed, the albums on the way, the bridesmaid dresses no longer fit me and i've managed to cook without burning the apartment...

Its time to end this blog and start a new chapter of life...

http://dothugskelvin2.blogspot.com

my new blog will be my journal for life as a mummy ( unfortunately, i dont feel so yummy right now)

lets hope i stay sane

blubbery blub blub blub

2009-05-30T14:57:00.002+08:00

cant believe i weigh a whopping 122 pounds. Last sat, visit to the dr was 118 lbs. This is so depressing..4 pounds in a week? Im supposed to gain just 1 pound a week on my 2nd trimester.. and i havent even reached the 2nd yet.

how to check for abdominal muscle separation

2009-05-29T16:21:00.000+08:00

http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/during/preg_abdominalsep.html

crippled human incubator

2009-05-29T14:50:00.006+08:00

seriously, i am beginning to think my purpose has now been reduced to something similar of a science experiment. A human incubator. crippled one at that. No more work for me except to keep myself in tiptop shape for the baby. Ama and Ma, held fast by old chinese beliefs believe the more you eat the better. They feed me like no tomorrow...vitamins, ginger juice, everything...

Honestly, work is so much easier..

compassionate doctors

2009-05-28T08:49:00.004+08:00

wednesday.... my knees are still slightly swollen and painful in the mornings. Kelvin woke up to me cry cry cry....

so i need to get real medical advice. for peace of mind.

unfortunately there doesnt seem to be any orthopedics who will housecalls. I would have gone the day i slipped but it was too painful to go. I played the symphathy card - im pregnant! if i exert any more effort i get cramps! Im in extreme pain! We just live so nearby! I can fetch yoU!I am desperate!!!

no dice

me: why are there anymore compassionate doctors?
kel: Like the lawyers.. they are all dead.

wallow wallow wallow

2009-05-27T16:13:00.004+08:00

wallow wallow wallow... yes i want to wallow in the muck of misery...

kelvin was complaining abt his court appearance yday. I say i am ready and willing to trade places. I want to be the breadwinner. Gimme work and all that crap that goes with it and he can be the crippled human incubator.

unlucky accidents

2009-05-26T17:29:00.003+08:00

it can only happen to me. just when i think i am the luckiest blessed gal in the world...

i was taking a bath when i slipped and fell on my butt. naked. i dislocated my right knee. i know. close friends screeched - dot again??? yes again. but not when im 10 wks pregnant. and not on my usual left knee. why o why?

as an advocate of unlocked bathroom doors, i chose the perfect time to lock mine. which resulted to panicked family members on the other side of the door tryin to get in. to the sight of me in my birthday suit. splayed out on the floor.

im unlucky yet still lucky.let me count my blessings.

i've ammassed enough fat cells in my buttocks to give me a cushy comfy fall. In fact, i think i even bounced. and i think my blueberry ( prenatal name) actually enjoyed it since i had no cramps or pain whatsoever in the tummy. It was pretty calm.

it wasnt the kind of dislocation where they need to sedate me with tranquilizers and tie me up on a splint. The knee popped back into place and i can still bend.

no strength for ortho, but coincidentally dr au is still in manila and did a house call. I call him my miracle semi quack doctor. He diagnosed that there were some twisted tendons due to the trauma and realigned them. Swelling and heat, signs of injury disappeared.

Hubby stayed at columbia for the night. Shallow reason but i count my lucky stars to have a supportive man. who assists me to the cr in the wee hours of the night to pee. or the number 2. even if he takes advantage of my lack of escape to practice his court appearances on me.

Despite self wanting to wallow in self pity and misery, i promise to try to make lemonade out of lemons. I cant go back to what ifs. I believe that there is a reason why God let this happened. God only knows what and i trust that the reason is somethig for my greater good. I just pray for a fast recovery because im practically going out of my mind here in bed.

dont touch that caffeine!

2009-05-21T13:52:00.004+08:00

its the double guilt system for preggy people. You cant drink coffee. or tea. or softdrinks. or chocolate. and if you do.. you are a bad mother. never mind your own fat cells. think about the lil baby inside of you garnering the negative effects of your own gluttony.

i dont drink coffee. Thank heavens. i may be a tea lover, but i survived without so far. softdrinks.. well its not as much missed. But my weakness is chocolate. I realize i still bits and pieces from time to time.

but good news is on the way! i googled today and found all positive reports of dark chocolate preventing preeclampsia and makingfor a happy baby.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4569991_can-eat-chocolate-pregnant.html

basically preggies have a limit of 370 mg of caffeine a day.

coffee has 90 + mg while chocolate has around 10-30 mg. in general my limit is 4 cups of tea or 400 g of dark chocolate.

A & P

2009-05-18T19:19:00.002+08:00

annoyed and paranoid. i feel as if this person is avoiding me.... either that or i got too much time on my hands...cant talk much about it. on the lighter side, i can faintly see the light on the other side of the tunnel...was able to go out last sat on checo's bday. okay, did puke twice but still survived.

also went to cousin's kiddie party.admittedly more for the food than the kid. I was craving those mini stalls of taho and fishballs. perhaps spaghetti and buttered toast and hotdog dipped in red coloring. two out of one aint bad :)

It's not pain...its pressure

2009-05-08T20:37:00.002+08:00

even before i got married. I knew what kind of pregnancy i wanted. and its an EPIDURAL!!!! pls knock me to sleep before i feel anything!!!

reading this article gives me a little bit of good news... remember its pressure.... ( still not changing my mind on the epidural though)

My baby was born through hypnobirthing

By Margarita Y. Locsin-Chan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:07:00 09/15/2008

LONDON, England—My husband Antonio walked into our hypnobirthing class a skeptic. Today, four lessons, several hours of practice and one 24-hour birth later, he is a believer.

My cousin in the US, who had used the same non-invasive, all-natural birthing method to give birth to her son, introduced hypnobirthing to me. While the thought of giving birth without the security of an epidural scared me to death, I later learned there is, in fact, no need for such drugs or anaesthetics. All the pain management we need is in our mind and, with a super supportive spouse, it makes for a formidable “pain-killer.”

Our hypnobirthing guru was Patti Good, who, besides teaching hypnobirthing, specializes in Journey therapy, an alternative form of healing that focuses on removing “deep-seeded emotional issues” such as grief, depression and eating disorders. Patti is also a registered “doula,” or a birth companion who provides emotional and physical support during labor.

According to Patti, Marie Mongan in the US founded hypnobirthing in 1989. Mongan was inspired by her own traumatic birthing experience in the ’50s, when for her first child, “she was drugged, awoke violently ill from the ether and informed that she had ‘delivered’ a baby boy.”

Giving birth to her next child, Mongan took matters into her own hands and threatened to fire her doctor “if he didn’t allow her the birth she wanted”—a natural one with her husband by her side. Mongan later “helped her daughter give birth in the same calm, serene manner.” In time she developed the hypnobirthing program now recognized worldwide.

While there are similar programs in the US (Hypnobabies) and the UK (Natal Hypnotherapy), Patti describes hypnobirthing as the only “complete, stand-alone, antenatal option offering couples mental, physical and, most importantly, emotional preparation for childbirth.”

Manageable

Over four three-hour sessions, Patti prepared a small, intimate group of three couples, including my husband and myself, to deliver our babies in an environment where pain is manageable, stress is controlled, and the process allowed to take its natural route. We are, after all, created to create. Our bodies are well equipped to handle the rigors of childbirth, if only we would let go and allow it to do it the way it’s supposed to.

Patti told us that fear, like that felt by most mothers in anticipation of childbirth, makes the body go into the “fight or flight” mode. When the mother’s body does so, her muscles tense up and constrict, her blood is redirected from the uterus and cervix where it is needed, and she ends up feeling the pain she anticipated in the first place.

Hypnobirthing’s primary goal, therefore, is to eliminate these fears and free our minds from years of negative perceptions, usually instilled in us by well-meaning but fear-breeding relatives, or by the media.

Through Patti’s lectures and exercises, the mothers-to-be learned to assuage our fears, control our emotions and relax our bodies, while our husbands learned how to calm, comfort and support us through the process.

Smooth path

We also learned a new vocabulary. “Contractions” became “surges” or “waves,” “labor” became “birth,” “pain” became “pressure” and “pushing” became the “J breath.” By not using traditional terminology, we started to think of our upcoming births as less scientific and more personal, less horrifying and more something to look forward to.

Patti told us “when the mother is completely relaxed and free from any fear, her body is able to work naturally to help her birth her baby. The uterine muscles are able to work together to open and draw back the neck of the cervix so that the baby has a smooth path down. In this relaxed state, the body also secretes endorphins, a natural painkiller 200 times stronger than morphine.”

I couldn’t believe it at first, but time and experience would soon prove me wrong.

Our classes were also supplemented with real-life hypnobirthing videos—astounding as we watched mother after mother birth, without painkillers or drugs, some in birthing pools, others on traditional beds, most at home, a few in the hospital, but all in calm and controlled manner.

Patti took us through breathing exercises. We were taught three types—“Sleep,” “Slow” and the “J Breath,” each type to be used in different phases of birth.

In “Sleep” breathing, we relax our bodies, to prepare us for the surges (contractions). “Slow” breathing taught us how to breathe during the actual surges to minimize the pain and allow the surge to pass.

The “J Breath,” the last and most critical, is used in place of the traditional “push,” which apparently goes against the body’s natural means of expelling the baby. We were to “nudge” the baby out and this Patti said, would make our babies less stressed, and result in a happier and calmer baby.

What to expect

So, what happened during the birth?

My water broke at dawn, which in most movie scenes would signal the couple’s dash to the hospital, but since Patti had already taught us about what to expect and what we had to do, my husband and I calmly called St. Mary’s Hospital (where incidentally, Princess Di gave birth to her sons) to tell the staff and that we chose to stay at home until my surges were five minutes apart.

From 5 a.m. to about 7 p.m., I was in the first stage of birth. I spent the day doing as I normally did—cooked breakfast, checked e-mail, had a shower and watched TV with my mum.

Thanks to breathing techniques, the surges felt like no more than tummy cramps and I was even walking around and doing chores while they were happening.

At around 7 p.m., the surges were finally just five minutes apart and we were advised by the St. Mary’s midwife to go to the hospital. We arrived at 8:30 p.m. and I was taken to a birthing room. There, my surges were machine-monitored and I was informed that my baby’s heart rate was dropping during each surge and that if it didn’t improve, I’d probably end up in the C-section.

I didn’t want that, so I turned to my breathing exercises to relax me. I believe it relaxed the baby as well, because before long, my baby was responding with a strong heartbeat. This impressed my midwife Deborah Meade, who was also shocked at how “controlled” my breathing was. I was half-asleep between surges and looked totally at peace, so much so that my mum asked my husband if I had passed out.

Speaking of my husband, he never left my side throughout the last eight hours of the birth. He massaged my arms, helped me move around and constantly repeated affirmations that helped me remain in a completely relaxed state.

His reassuring tone kept me in hypnobirthing “trance,” making the hours go by quicker.

Last stages

At 2:50 a.m., the last stages of the birth began. When my doctor Paul Armstrong told me to push, my relaxation techniques fell apart and it was my husband who kept me on track. I was trained to let my body dictate when to nudge my son out, but it was hard to actually do it all the time.

What I did focus on was preparing for the surges and signaling my birthing companions when they did come. Trying to perfect this forced me to relax because I knew my son would not come out otherwise.

I did scream, but just twice—when the kiwi ventouse (think vacuum!) was pushed in and for the last big birth breath. When Dr. Armstrong said, “You can do it,” I replied, and rather loudly at that, “I CAN DO IT!” If it weren’t such a serious time, I would have probably died laughing at how “corny” I sounded.

My son was born at 4:24 a.m. He was literally flung on my tummy and was a calm baby from the start—a trait Patti says is common in hypnobirthing babies. After serving me a cup of tea and some toast for energy, I stood up and walked to my room—which incidentally was Princess Di’s room. This was a big thrill for my Hello!-reading mum!

Empowering

Hypnobirthing was an extremely empowering experience. While I did hurt for two weeks (and I am told this is totally normal regardless of how you give birth), my body has never felt better. Emotionally, the process made me feel closer to my son.

My son is very close to my husband and myself, precisely because of the hypnobirthing bond. The birth was a three-way effort, which would not have happened had it not been for mum, dad and baby working together.

Hypnobirthing isn’t for everyone, but it is something to consider when you’re expecting a natural, complication-free birth.

Feeling all the natural highs and lows, pains and pleasures of birth with only your hubby as pain relief is a great way to reaffirm to yourselves and to your newborn that together, you can do anything, be anything and feel (nearly!) no pain at all.

baby room ideas

2009-05-08T09:00:00.003+08:00

last nite, we got carried away and discussed baby room ideas.... sis 4 showed me this delicious mushroom bookcase. the kids bed is inside ...

anyway here are three themes im doodling with

1. safari
( cons- my cousin already did this with her 4month old kid)

2. deep blue ocean
( cons- is too much blue hazardous for the baby? i need to add a wide range of colours like orange squids,neon jellyfishes,seaweeds etc. My wall is a shade of wooden spoon colour - not quit sealike at all)

3. fairy tale
( i think its gonna be expensive.. this one)

baby's shopping list

2009-05-07T20:56:00.012+08:00

i stumbled into a whole new world i didnt know! finally something to get excited about! its baby shopping! MIL just gifted us with some money. and i now know what i can do with my leftover gcs. So ive already gathered a shortlist of necessary items i can look for.

** In bold type means i already have it

FOR BABY

shirts ( does this mean onesies? whats the diff? Do i need both?)
diaper
diaper clips
socks
mittens
bonnet
receiving blankets
bath accesories
bath tub, ( THANK GOODNESS FOR KECHUNG!)
the thing to put cotton
cottonbuds on the side of the crib kapag poopoo baby,
crib sheet
bumpers
bottles
nasal aspirator
brush for bottles
nipples
bottle sterilizer
tongs
crib ( but need a bigger one, since the heirloom is good for til 4 months )
baby basinet
Pram ( Maclaren Quest or Combi / Strombroller)

FOR ME

funky diaper bag
those breastfeeding slings
breast pump
breast pads
breast milk resealable plastics
electric breast pump - either avent isis q duo or medela pump in style

sleepless nights

2009-05-07T04:17:00.002+08:00

worried. havent been able to sleep yday and tonight..

today i have this slight dull ache in lower abdomen. and then a not so good feeling the whole night which i deduced to being gassy.. hopefully.

now my right side (waist area) up to but not quite middle has this dull ache too...

gosh..all sort of things are coming up my head. I do hope that God can answer my prayers for a healthy happy baby and the least possible labor pains as possible...

Baby Buys

2009-05-06T17:54:00.001+08:00

im filing this for reference :)
Lessons from an expensive first year

By Margarita Y. Locsin-Chan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:04:00 05/05/2009

LONDON – One year and many pounds (I live in London) later, I stare at my year-old son’s wardrobe in shock. He has more clothes than I and my husband combined. I realize this has been an expensive year—and it is mostly of my own doing!

I won’t make excuses for my expense, but any mother I’m sure will admit that with the myriad of baby products out there, it is impossible to resist the newest fashions, latest baby accessories and, in a country where we walk more than we ride, investing in the best pushchair.

Of course, a significant percentage of my son’s things are gifts from generous grandparents, aunts and uncles, but that has only added to my guilt. For as much money as I have wasted on products that turned out to be useless or too cumbersome, they have, with the best of intentions, spent on gifts that my son can’t use here or end up outgrowing before they even get to us.

And so I have decided to save new mothers from this wasteful fate by writing this. I hope new and future mums will end their first year with more money saved than I did—so that they can run to the spa and reward themselves for all the poop, burps, vomit, colic attacks, temper tantrums (the baby’s, not ours!) and secret post-partum depression fits of the year past.

My resolution for my baby’s next year is also to buy only as much as I need for two weeks (of course, I can’t guarantee that his grandparents will join me in this resolution, but oh well…). Anything more is wasteful.

If you must buy, invest in plain-colored onesies that your baby can change into when he/she gets sweaty or vomits. If you live in a cold country like I do, have no more than four coats—two light and two heavy. Baby clothes are remarkably easy to wash and dry quite quickly.

Also, only buy nearer the time you will need to update your baby’s wardrobe, because you will know how big your baby will be only closer to the date. My son is long but slim for his age, so I still use his 9-12 months pants, even if they’re a little short, because the 12-18 ones just slide off him.

The best baby clothes in the UK for me are from Baby GAP. The selection is realistic, comfortable (the neck part can really s-t-r-e-t-c-h!) and looks good even after you’ve machine-washed them several times. I like those with little teddy bears the best, but that’s just me being childish.

In Manila, I like the clothes from Brusselsprouts, an online store owned by my two friends, Rica Geronimo and Charmaine de la Luna. Not only are their fashions well-thought out (both are hands-on mums, so they know what works and what doesn’t), but they’re of good quality and are transportable, meaning my son wore them out-and-about in sweltering Manila and as comfy layers in freezing London.

If your baby likes to remove his shoes and socks like mine (and not to mention, fling them out of his pushchair when you’re not looking!), I suggest getting the Chicco ones with rubber underneath. They’re like shoes and socks put together and have great traction for babies learning to walk. You can get them in Greenbelt 5.

When I was back last Christmas, I was surprised to discover that Manila had a really good selection of pushchairs, this considering most people ride in cars. In London, a pushchair is a necessity, not an option, and we have to be very picky, taking into consideration our lifestyle, prevalent mode of transport and even how strong the parent who will be folding the pushchair is!

The Maxi-Cosi is undeniably the best car seat/pushchair attachment for newborn babies. My son sank into it the first time he tried it, loved it to bits and vehemently (not to mention, angrily!) refused to move to a bigger seat even when his feet were clearly sticking out of the pram. For parents, it is just so convenient. It’s lightweight, easy to attach to the car and it just clicks on to the pushchair. I wish they had it for bigger babies.

For six months plus, Bugaboo is the clear favorite in the UK, particularly for those who want their babies facing them. Other popular brands are Maclaren, Silver Cross, Skokie and the one I have, Quinny Buzz. Both the Bugaboo and Buzz can be used from birth, with my favorite Maxi-Cosi attached.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the Buzz. While it is definitely steady and strong (I call it Gabby’s Hummer!), the straps came too short and I had to order extensions when Gabby was just six months old, which was when we moved from the Maxi-Cosi to the Quinny’s actual seat. I also found the rain cover a hassle to attach and to store, unlike the Bugaboo’s, which attaches neatly and can be easily moved up and down.

The Buzz’s wheels also went flat while I was out shopping, which was a total nightmare. Not only did I have to pay for an expensive cab ride home, I had to order a new inner tube, which took three weeks to arrive. According to one of my girl friends, the Bugaboo’s wheels are more solid. If I could turn back time, I’d probably have gotten a Bugaboo, or my new discovery, the Japanese Combi, which looks like a Bugaboo, but is much cheaper and is super light and compact.

For feeding equipment, my son is an Avent baby for his sterilizer (their iQ steam sterilizer is the best ever!), warmer and milk bottles, but Tommee Tippee for tableware. The Tommee Tippee spoons change color, which saves mums from becoming breathless while trying to cool down baby’s dinners. I also like NUK and MAM’s water bottles, which my son is finding easier to drink from. Oddly enough, all these brands are made in the UK, but the selection is so much better in Baby and Co.

My pediatrician in London advised me against buying the food processors specially made for babies. She said it was a waste of £50 and told me I was better off using a £5 hand blender, if anything at all. My son liked the bottled purees during his first stages, so I didn’t even get to use the hand blender, and now that he’s started to chew, I use a fork and knife to cut and mash.

I love Heinz’s baby cereals and bottled baby food. They have a great selection and their Egg Custard smells like crème brûlée. Unfortunately, I don’t think they have them in Manila. The Gerber ones are good, too, although I do wish supermarkets would stock better varieties. Babies can’t live on pureed fruit, and not everyone has a battalion of cooks to make fresh food daily. Heinz makes baby rice, pasta and sauces that already have meat and veg in them, which makes cooking for my son so much easier. We have their ketchup and beans, so why can’t they bring in their baby food as well?

Other products I wish I could find in Manila are baby yogurt and baby “junk food.” Yoplait makes Petits Filous, which my son just loves, and Organix, a British organic baby food brand that makes organic, low-fat corn, cheese and tomato-flavored curls, which are healthy, apparently tasty (my husband and sister-in-law have tasted them) and teach babies to chew.

With regard to mummy fashion, what better says I’m a yummy mummy than the baby bag! Friends and family gave me baby bags during my baby shower and my husband so kindly offered to buy me a designer one (I actually refused!), but the only one I use and want is the Skip Hop, which I found in Rustan’s. These durable bags attach to the prams and fit heaps of things. They come in many styles, the newest being the City Chic, which I have yet to see up close, but I am already coveting (now this one you can buy me, Mom!).

I have the Messenger Dash and the larger-sized Duo, the latter of which I took on a 24-hour flight to Sydney and fit six bottles, a six-layer stack of milk containers (the cheap ones from Shopwise are the best!), four bottles of baby food, a pack of baby cheese curls, a giant pack of baby wipes (unfortunately, we don’t have those cute mini ones Johnson’s makes for the Philippine market here in the UK), eight nappies, two packs of tissues, a pack of anti-bacterial wipes… you get the picture.

Another parent essential are baby carriers. We were gifted with Infantino carriers and they both worked perfectly until our son turned one. Most parents recommend Baby Bjorn and admittedly, if they’d stocked it in Manila at the time of our baby shower, we would have opted for it because of the additional neck support that’s built in.

There wasn’t much selection of carriers for over 12-kilogram babies, other than the back-pack-type one, but that was not an option for a diminutive 4’ 11”-tall mum like me. Luckily, we found the Ergo carrier in Australia. The comfy US-made carrier goes up to 18 kg and lets heavier babies face their parents; a feature often lost once babies hit about 10 kg. I’m not sure who stocks them in Manila, but you can go online and order from the US, or from Babies Galore in Australia.

Okay, this piece is getting too long for a newspaper article, so I must stop even if I have heaps more to write about. You get the drift though, that we have to spend on the best, so that we don’t have to spend so much in the end. Quality, not quantity, is the best motto of motherhood; at least this is what I’ve learned. Now, if only the excited grandparents would believe that, too!

the myth around men & manliness

2009-05-04T18:53:00.008+08:00

some societies believe a man's virility is associated closely with his manliness. which certainly resulted to Henry VIII's blame on the wife for not bearing a son.
( yes, men use the most insensible logic ever)

somehow we pinoys also have this social stigma.

when people find out about my baby, aside from the usual congratulations, i also get a few remarks from both genders similar to

"ang galing ni kelvin"

which leaves me a bit baffled. "yes and oh i got great eggs too you know?"

well yes, im baffled. how does this equate to a man's "galing?" It can also leave a sort of pariah for husbands who cant sire kids. Even if its a natural possibility. since im on the subject of fertility, let me just babble on about why we never got around to use birth control.

one: what if im infertile and ive wasted all those time with birthcontrol only to find out too sorry, too late.

two: we got several friends who used b.c. and now that they want to have kids, they cant. ( which also leads to reason no. 1) and so the superstition that, once you start using, you'l have a harder time when now want one
three: im not exactly at the fruit of my youth. ive got a ticking time bomb of 5 years tops.

four: as with russian roulette, let God decide when its the right time for little bit to pop out

of course we forgot that my ama had 18 siblings and kelvin has 12 aunts/uncles so the fertility gene is quite a non-issue.

we are soo using birthcontrol after this.

preggy lit

2009-05-02T13:34:00.003+08:00

mil gave me this book about preggyness.. considering that i actually get bored reading these stuff, this one is well written, quite similar to chick lit... comparing first trisem to the seven dwarves called itchy, pissy, bitchy, farty, pukey, bloatey and gassy...yes. im snow white alright. ( except for itchy...)

it also talks about being called "buntis" by relatives...( without your knowledge) like andyan na si buntis...

so far, no one has called me buntis.. But in the first few days after i found out i was preggy, my nickname was juno.

in my bedrest days, i actually overhead sis 4 in the other room say,,

where is preggers?

what makes me vomit

2009-04-30T16:23:00.001+08:00

its a wonder why i puke at the sight of food but i am perfectly calm while watching extreme blood and gore on Greys Anatomy and CSI

i hope it means my kids gonna be a doctor at least.

feeling a bit pukey again....

2009-04-29T23:31:00.000+08:00

i curse eve

2009-04-23T20:04:00.000+08:00

somebody pls just wake me up when the trimester is over....

arghhhhhhhh

signs of a bun in the oven

2009-04-18T23:13:00.003+08:00

you get cranky.. remember pms? imagine it twice over.

you get farty and burpy. I got enough of it to supply the gas chambers of the Holocaust

you get bloated. My tummy feels big. yet its always hungry. I gained 4 pounds in a week!!! crap crap crap!!!! or the better term is feed !!feed !!feed!!!

speaking of crap, you cant crap much. coz you are constipated. so now, you worry if the pain is because of all that poop forming a cesspool of stink and creating acids for the holocaust gas chamber or could it be the possibility of the baby's health. which leads you to

worry....

love is

2009-04-13T03:36:00.000+08:00

when ur hubby puts ur socks on for u... Even if he hates feet and urs is sorta stinky

preggy in turkey

2009-04-12T21:13:00.002+08:00

long story but rt now m stuck in ramada hotel cursing the horny bastard who impregnated me before our trip to istanbul. No books.no english tv except for two lousy channels but at least his cell can go on wifi.

for some weird reason

2009-04-05T00:17:00.004+08:00

For some reason, the lyrics of this song kep replaying in my head starting wed til fri-bar results day. In my half dreams and the backburner of my thoughts...sometimes, i suddenly realize, why is this the one that keeps repeating itself over and over? Its like there is this radio living inside my lil brain.

For every victory

let it be said of me

my source of hope

my source of strength

in Christ alone....

we sang this on wed night at the bs.

bar exam results

2009-04-03T21:01:00.003+08:00

emotions. Im not sure how to describe it right now. one will say happiness automatically. But its an overwhelming feeling of relief. gratefulness.loads of gratefulness to God... its a series of ups and downs, high and lows.. constant prayers. elation.excitement.giddyness.incredulousness. everything.

I think i screamed in TJ's ear when he told us the news. He said it in a hurry ( he was rushing the stuff at the SC).no suspense. nothing. just tell kelvin congrats. I had to ask him to repeat it.We hugged each other and cried.

God is good.

i hate suspense

2009-04-03T15:55:00.001+08:00

suspense.. i hate it... its this mindnumbing gutwrenching thing...

we are all hanging on our toes

ken in the kitchen

2009-04-01T00:24:00.002+08:00

k's brother ( also known as my brother in law) is a chef. blimey. Yday, Ken and MIL took over my kitchen and made some yummy chicken stew in tomato sauce) and hot comforting fish soup.

The complicated thing about chefs is they make things complicated.

like for example - sauteeing. The onions have to go first. then add the peppers. then the zuchini. It cant simply be just throw everything in one hefty swoop.

me: Bakit? bakit kelangan isa isa

Ken: para may layering ang flavors

my thoughts: ( ah ganun pala?? i though layering was only applicable to fashion)

the view from up here

2009-03-30T00:52:00.003+08:00

On our cebu trip, we were given free passes to crown regency's latest toy - a sort of roller coaster ( but not really ) atop the tallest hotel tower in the Philippines. ( 40 stories to be exact)

Its a two seater thingy that suspends you midair facing the bottom while it slowly goes around the bldg. You can control it by suspending it higher or letting it down.

i had no plans to try it. Its not made by AJ Hackett like the one in macau. I mean who made this? Someone daw who made the Las Vegas Ride similar to this.

But soon - uncle ang and uncle T ( all in their middle ages were raring to go. So was my brother. It was like this all male high. They were all pushing us to go.

me: Osige na nga. Go ako

Uncle Ang : and you know whats great about this? Its friday the 13th

me: Okay di na ako go.

But my cheapness won over. I mean. this is free. Itl be like the last time i skipped out on the macau jump. So i wounded up cursing my brother all the way round the longest two minutes of my life.

Bro: Ach ach.. sira ata ang controls. ayaw bumaba ( after suspendingit to the highest)

me: wag ka maingay. *%**&@*& Ibalik mo na!

Bro: Ach ach ikaw ata nagstostop ng control. ayaw talga

Me: Hello! di ko nga magalaw galaw kamay ko.

( We can actually go handfree because of its steel belts but my hands refuse to let go of its grip )

Bro: ach ach! actually di naman nakakatkot if trust mo na di ka mahulog

Me: Di ko trust etong machine

Bro: Ach ach, if nahulog tayo, makakahawak ka parin ba sa handles?

view from the top

our chairs have arrived

2009-03-30T00:32:00.003+08:00

our chairs from abea have arrived. Actually i wanted to fiddle with the boxes more than the chairs when they came in. It would have made fabulous little dog houses for jackie and the gang. So sad to throw them away.

this is a late blogpost. let me place it on my datebook that it arrived on feb27 09. One month for me to finally figure out how to upload on the sony cam

Black Ops

2009-03-27T17:45:00.007+08:00

Black Ops.

the perception is its the hardest thing to do. But really, it is the easier way out. The fastest way to avenge the anger. The easiest way to get to where you want.

The harder and more noble thing is NOT TO GO black ops. Even if the enemy results to one. To maintain integrity and all that jazz. To be a forthright branch amidst the storm.

Looks like things are going back to the good ol days again.

glad it's not my battle.

The new family ass

2009-03-25T23:53:00.004+08:00

have to draft a reply letter to a competitor for my sibling. Just like the good ol days. except this one was more civil than the one i battled with during my newbie years. Ive gotten competitors who issue out death threats to scare off my managers. ahh the good ol days of the wild wild west. And the best one i got was a phone call....

Ako si *** sales manager of ***. Name of my company is going to go down!

ooOoooh im scared. (well actually i was. I just got out of college for crying out loud)

****************************************************************************

Well this time, i gave kelvin some leeway in writing. He sent it back to sibling

sis 3: How legalistic. Its like a letter from our family lawyer

me: It is a letter from our family lawyer!

sis4: He is being an ass!

me: He is an ass. Its his job.

Its time to bare the claws.. pitsing tsing tsing

console table

2009-03-24T11:29:00.002+08:00

its seems forever for me to choose an lcd rack and a console table for that matter.... here are some items i fancy. Im into country french and shabby chic.. as what checo calls the D__ style. which is hard since every shop i go sells those urban asian / modern zen aka wenge furnitures everyone is crazy about. I barf. Gimme these anytime!

this reminds me of the lovely bathroom we had in Welgelegen Guest House in SA. I miss it so much! If im filthy rich and can afford a big house, its gonna look like Welgelegen.

This would look nice in white or black or maybe moss green

very country.. ( very impractical too since its probably hard to clean the rattan cabinets. sigh)

2009-03-24T10:25:00.001+08:00

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! to a meeting i must go...

du dum dumdumm du dum dudum

Hi ho hi ho..

I hope it will be a zesty day

on paying bills and such

2009-03-23T23:26:00.004+08:00

am so proud of myself when i finally figured out how to make my credit card pay for my utility bills...

one month later.. i forgot which utilities it was supposed to pay...

crap. Now i dont know which one of these bills i have to really pay.. meralco or pldt?

breakfasts at djuma bush lodge...

2009-03-18T18:21:00.001+08:00

i miss africa...

missin the province.. the real one!

2009-03-17T22:05:00.002+08:00

all i want to do when i get to cebu and bacolod was

smell the sea air, eat with my hands at a local resto.. none of those fancy schmancy ones like in manila and perhaps, if im lucky, get to put my feet up after.

but no such luck. Our hosts, of course brought us to these pretty upscale restaurants. Cebu im not surprised. Its already urbanized. But what the hell happened to BACOLOD? im aghast to find the prices could compete with Manila!

one of our gracious hosts did mention, after my prodding that Aboys was good "but its not a nice place... you know those places with dirty floors."

Hay Gimee the grit and grime!!!

What happened to the provincial aura that i hanker for? What happened to cebu? And davao too for that matter. On our way to the airport, mom was berating me on why i didnt bring my designer bag ( I brought sis4 diy bag..) and why the hell did i choose to wear my lousiest watch. why the hell not? Then i remembered. .. oh yeah.. cebu is all fancy schmancy now.

I remember around mAybe 20 years back, inside a mall with my uncle.I noticed his ugly tsinelas during the time havianas wasnt born. I asked him if he wants to wear shoes. He said.. what for? Ang bo chi lang ang di cheng sui sa... paguchi bo kiam eng tseng sui sa la.

I miss the good ol days...

im counting now that dumaguete wont change...

apple jelly chicken for dinner anyone?

2009-03-17T19:35:00.005+08:00

absolutely have no idea what im doing

it started out with my lack of groceries. my cupboard revealed nothing. except for some chicken breast fillets. and a jar of applesauce. So i started looking at the net to see what i can do. The recipes call for grilled. but i dont have a griller and i dont have apple cider either. So i just threw in whatver i can rummage. and here is how we had apple jelly chicken for dinner

1 zesto apple juice

1 tablespoon honey mustard

3 tablespoons apple jelly

some honey

1 pack chicken breast fillet( marinate in garlic,oliveoil and pepper)

I placed the marinated fillets in the saladmaster with the zesto apple juice, mustard and jelly. Covered it up and let it simmer. Halfway, i found an apple and decided to slice it and threw it in. Added some honey too.

Well lets see how it turns out later...

when kelvin gets to eat it.

first.

getting back in the game

2009-03-16T21:27:00.000+08:00

Ive realize that ive been so long gone out of the game when a comparison of sales came out. Preoccupied with lace and table settings have made me a softy. Not to mention, my competitiveness went towards getting the best wedding instead of getting ahead in the rat race.

although sis3 was in charge of this one. realize that i forgot my first passionate love which was to be number 1. And also for my own department. Unfortunately this year, i lost my top spot. AUGGHHHHHHHHHHHH......

So i hope its not too late, but i gotta get out and start busting my ass again.

of schedules and schedules

2009-03-16T09:44:00.003+08:00

last thursday night before I hie off to cebu. I realized i missed my family's unpredictability. the lacking sense of schedule, the constant changing destinations in the middle of the airport, the not knowing where you will be the next day.

Of course, I underestimated them again.

We were set for an overnight in cebu. and maybe hie off to bacolod for an extranight. depending on our mood. Of course they forgot to inform me that they resked it to bacolod until MONDAY! so i had to wear those free tshirt giveaways CEB gave out in their party. things could have been worse. If we continued on to dumaguete, i would have to start doing the side a and side b. arrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I am counting the minutes to manila. things are different now, You realize that you start to miss the idiot in the condo.

some inspirations

2009-03-13T00:29:00.002+08:00

still into wedding inspirations. i wonder if i can use these for my home inspirations instead. too late though, i already painted my walls

found this at snippet and ink! an inspiration board on WIZARD OF OZ..ohmyohmy! i wish ive seen this earlier.... lovethoseshoes!!!!

stuff i like...stuff i might

2009-03-12T23:54:00.002+08:00

foyer cabinet? or LCD rack (if i hadthe budget and maybe space)

a shoe cab? i just like them glass walls

love it lust it!where do i buy it?

2009-03-11T17:19:00.007+08:00

lately, ive been loving.. no LUSTING for these wall decors except i dont know where to buy them. Ikea is so far away...

I want this in green. Perfect for my living room

or maybe this....

i want this in... well chocolate brown maybe.. to match my yellowish beigish sandstone wall..

or maybe still in green or pink. a perfect place to hang my polka dot apron here

cuteyyyy

answering the machine

2009-03-10T10:58:00.005+08:00

after that awful phone fiasco ( as too embarrassing to elaborate - but wouldve made great laugh material ) + phone suddenly going bonkers. I decided to tinker with it only to find out it has an answering machine. And in the span of time ive got a phone, ive actually amassed 18 messages.

Some were from the office.

* Mam Dot, Naissue ko na ticket, pero di daw siya makabayad. kaya wala ako choice. hintaying ko nalang bayad niya. ( crap!!!! i better get an update on this!)

* Mam Dot? Hello Mam Dot??

* wala siyaaaa

*Mam, may ipapasign sa yo na contract si Lavida hotel, ilagay ko lang po dito sa office. ( oh crap, i dont remember signing anything from them. How long ago did I get this phone??)

Some were from my mother.

*we will pick you up at around 9-10 am. ( i wonder if i ever got on time with this one)

Some were from the sisters.

*Helloooo! Where are you! This is your sister! ____! ___! Call me!

* Hello? Hello?

* sige sige sige ( was she talking to me or someone else)

Some where just people breathing...

* inhale exhale

*toot toot toot

fireproof your marriage

2009-03-08T00:48:00.003+08:00

got invited to this churchy churchy thingy tonight. I was half half contemplating about going. Thinking it was one of those corny movies with a free dinner to lure you by. But I already promised Jen a few weeks ago, so Kelv and I went ahead despite the laziness of a saturday night.

I was surprised.

Dinner was actually a 5 course affair ( 6 - if you count the muffins during the movie) complete with fancy linen and cloth napkins,candles and a rose for the ladies. Gone are the days of styrofoam boards and home cooking i originally imagined. ( GCF church certainly knew how to host a dinner!!) Afterwards, we watched Fireproof. A movie designed to give insight to couples in strengthening their relationship.

I hate crying. But this movie definitely brought out the sniffles. The lady beside me practically had a mountain of wadded up kleenex beside her. and i think i caught kelv sniffle a bit. even though he will not admit it. It was touching and a touchbase at the same time. It reminds you what unconditional Love and commitment is really about. I guess this is a good orientation for us since are still just beginners really.

a tidbit i read that the actor - kirk cameron, a devout christian refused to kiss anyone except his real wife. So for this movie's kissing scene, they had to get his real wife and shot it in the shadows.awww..what a cutie..

A definite must watch for all the couples out there. :)

http://www.fireproofyourmarriage.com/

jollibee pa rin!

2009-03-04T19:03:00.003+08:00

Jollibee opened in NYC and guess what? the line is really long.

jollibee trumps mcdo anytime..

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/02/jollibee-filipino-fast-food-woodside-queens-nyc.html

You've crossed over

2009-03-03T11:13:00.007+08:00

You know you've crossed over ( from superb single to domestic bliss) when

1. You're itching to try that new recipe on the chickenmeat freezing in the ref

2. Strange salespeople come knocking at your door - Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner, SaladMaster, Royal Prestige all for the ultimate glory of your household

3. You talk about cleaning tips and the health benefits of the saladmaster with real enthusiasm

4. Conversations with your married friends revolve about sex and kids and married life in general

5. Whipping a great meal is a better achievement that hitting that sales quota.

6. Your single friends become bored with your incessant babbling about the saladmaster

7. But you have become the newest darling of the married set because they have a lot to teach the uninitiated one.

8. you wait like forever for your husband to come home from work...

My worst fears are slowly materializing. Have I become the boring housewife??????

dear diary, yday i made a apartmenemy

2009-02-28T21:57:00.007+08:00

what is a Apartmenemy - Someone living within the same apartment whom you entertain mutual dislike.

yday, like any usual day, i alighted on our elevator. And like any usual day, people go on and off, up and down and all around. But today, a mother and kid went in it with me.

It wasnt just any kid. This kid was rather plump and hefty and started stopping the elevator door from closing using his hands. Instinctively, as i always do with my little cousins, i said. No no no.. in a rather teacherly voice. The mother, after hearing me, decided as an after thought that it was dangerous and told his kid to stop because he might hurt himself.

and then the fat brat started jumping up and down the elevator. Loud and Hard.

me: Dont do that!

Im probably used to kids with their yayas bec I forgot he was with his mother and in the split second I remembered, i looked at her and she was looking at me in a pissy way and said

Dont shout at him.

There are a million things i want to say. But i kept my mouth shut. Because it wasnt worth it. and because in times like these, i wouldnt know what a mother will feel if someone reprimands his son in front of her. If it was my mom, i know she will be ashamed because her kid has reach the point where someone else has to scold. But honestly i dont think this is what the mother was thinking.

What i would like to say is:

Then teach your son some discipline.

I dont give a rats ass if he jumps all the way from 1-33 floor as long as I AM NOT IN IT. Do it in your own elevator.

I wouldnt be shouting at him if you told him not to do it. Which obviously you have no plans to do. ( wait ? was i shouting??? I dont think even think so. Sheesh no wonder he is like that)

Its standard elevator safety precaution agreed upon by the national board of elevator makers. you know.. for our SAFETY????

after my account for the day: Sis 4 gave her suggestion.

You know what you should have done? Tell her in her face: DO YOU WANT TO DIE? DO YOU WANT TO DIE?? AND START JUMPING UP AND DOWN THE ELEVATOR REAL HARD AND CRAZY.

maybe next time.. but then im deathly afraid to do that. as a kid, my mom has instilled in me to never play with elevator doors and jump inside them.

angry mash potatoes

2009-02-21T23:55:00.013+08:00

a recent tiff with k left a cold war in the air until the next day.

I silently decided to leave dinner alone. Let him microwave last nights leftovers so he can learn to appreciate what I do.

Except that, i realized i don't want to eat cold leftovers. and I wanted to make something. Because plainly, there was nothing more interesting to do. So for a good two minutes, I stared at the ref for something to make. Fish required the delicacy and tenderness of a loving wife. Which i am not at the moment. And i am exhausted to fry chicken in a pan. And then I spied on a couple of potatoes. and a half bag of peeled squash.

The rice in the cooker was gritty and half cooked. As if it predicted how the night will be. I threw it away. I didnt want rice. It reminded me of last night's bitterness. Instead, I peeled a couple of grubby potatoes. I am tempted to scrub them clean using K's toothbrush as revenge but he will be relieved to read that I didnt. ( or maybe I did. I will never tell)

I threw the golden lumps in the ricecooker. Added squash and baby carrots and let it boil. The water rose and hissed and threatened to overturn the cover. The sound is satisfying like it was about to burst into a million smithereens.

I scooped up the squash first and let the potatoes boil longer. Scraped the last remains of butter from the foil and added them in. And i mashed them. It was therapeutic. Like mashing all your anger in this one big pot of potatoes. and squash. even the name is therapeutic.

I call them angry mash potatoes.

When K came home, we did clear the air. But my hurt feelings was still evident in the tasteless fish on the dinner table so I let him eat alone. Until halfway he went inside the room, his face ruddy bright and exclaimed, holding the bowl of mash potatoes. "What did you put in this? If you add worcestershire, This is the best thing I ever had!"

Then everything is all right again.

I ate half of the mash potatoes with him.

Recipe for Angry Mash Potatoes

Potatoes

Squash

Butter

Goats Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Scrub potatoes with your object of anger's toothbrush. Boil potatoes and squash. ( easiest way is in the rice cooker). The ratio depending on which taste you prefer to be dominant. Add butter and mash together. Add cheese and salt and pepper. You may toss in a few veggies like carrots and asparagus to boil as a side dish.

lost my fon

2009-02-21T00:07:00.002+08:00

lost my fon. sigh. no use crying about it.back to saving money again. i just hope the asshole really needed the money and put it to good use like saving some sick mother or something.

what did marshall bring on his first day of work?

2009-02-15T22:36:00.005+08:00

In how i met your mother, on their first day of work, lawyer Marshall and his co worker compared what they packed inside their briefcases. One had nothing. while Marshall had candy bars. Kelvin on the other hand is trying to figure out what to bring in his nice spanking B briefcase.

Skyflakes.

IM NOW A "REAL WEDDINGS" BRIDE

2009-02-13T10:36:00.006+08:00

I CANT BELIEVE IT!

a fellow w@wie who's first and only time i emailed her was when i saw her supplier ratings. I was blown away by her wedding details. It was just the way I liked it. very Vintagey especially since she dared to do the smoky makeup look that i always wanted but ended up chickening out doing. So when i stumbled into her site again, I was confounded to find MY own wedding featured!!!

naloka loka ako ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( being jologs now) check out her pretty wedding site at

http://vintagedainty.blogspot.com

CHECK OUT HER WEDDING AT http://ceejaywedding.blogspot.com/

( unfortunately it requires permission though...)

a job!! a job!! we got a job!!!

2009-02-12T14:00:00.007+08:00

yey! kelvin got the job that he really wanted. God is good. really.

Upon my request, K did not go to originally planned lawfirm. Financial benefits were ok but i felt the environment is not the place to nurture Godly values. It was hard for him to not apply. I wanted a job where he can have a balance of time between family and health too. Second job offer - although it was his dream job when he was single, it was his own decision to pass. Far Location = no time to spend with family either. He ended up doing interviews for meager paying jobs and i was content with just so so. Then came this really good firm that was not even in our wildest dreams. we prayed. I prayed that whatver God's decision.. we will accept it na. whether God gives it to us or not.

they called him yday and gave him more than what we expected :) twice as much as the first one we turned down.

so even if we think we thought we sacrificed something, God has better plans for you if you trust him enough.

and in return. Il try to be good. TRY. to.be. patient. at least. with.something.im.kinda.miffed.about.( remember the word try)

safari chic dinner party

2009-02-10T00:10:00.017+08:00

Here comes the animals!

tradition calls for a barkada blowout on bdays. ( if not tradition then, tin and jan will pretty soon be calling literally- O KELAN na Chia mo?) in fact, tin has been hankering on when I will be cooking soon.

So i decided to throw an intimate dinner party for my 31st bday. (sort of my africa pasalubong also)

Intimate sounds so Philippine Tatler chic but the reason mainly is my 8 chairs thank you very much. aside from the maximumest of the max of my table space. sis 4 and I wished we could cut it down to 6 but the barkada sort of comes in a package. :)

To solve the dilemma of cooking, i pounced upon Sis4's present itch to cook for a dinner party.

my contribution? cutting the cheese and buying the Zebra Pate from Africa. Check out the zebra print coaster which i crafted using cartolina and extra paper from my old wedding invite.

The main challenge is how to make plastic disposable wares NOT LOOK GAUDY? ( because i absolutely refuse to wash any more dishes) I stuck with african colors - bright reds and yellow prints against their black skin and shades of greens and browns in the bush.

so this is what we do....

Made use of giraffe printed bedsheet lying around Kelvin's house as a tablecloth.

my mom gave me a basket of fruitsfor the new year, which i scattered all over the table,placing the yellow based fruits against the darker giraffe print and the redder ones on the lighter giraffe print.

Snatching a stem or two from my mom's flower arrangement,i maximized it by scattering the petals around the table for added color.

Two long wine bottles are placed on both ends to balance the look. someone gave me a silver candlestick holder for my wedding, which sits in the middle. Incidentally the candle is the one i used for my church ceremony. One is Amarula, an african liquor we brought home.

For the placemats, cut out square sheets from black cartolinas ( 2 bigsheets = 8) because it will make a nice contrast with the red plastic plates.

Candy wrapped in shiny gold foil sits on top of Kleenex napkins folded lengthwise on top of the plates.

I placed the name cards on slits I made on these little oranges. (you can eat it too). Using the leftover cartolina, i tied long black strips on the plastic spoon and forks.

I was so tempted to use our wine glasses but sensibility won me over. Instead, i got some old yellow paper to cover the white paper cups and give it some contrast. Incidentally, its great to place to mark the names so you wouldnt end up repeating cups.

I also wanted to hang green strips of crepe or cellophane paper on helium balloons but couldnt find any. Apparently they phased out helium because its not ozone friendly. Bah!! i didnt want to put tape on my new walls yet.

Dinner is served

dinner for two: Dory and Asparaus Spears

2009-02-09T20:20:00.006+08:00

we have fallen into a routine. kelvin and I. I cook us dinner. He cleans my mess. Not a bad deal, since I have turned cooking into a game.

Basically, i don't do cookbooks. 8 years of being a boss has atrophied my capacity to follow directions.

Instead, I open my ref see what i can make out of whatver ingredients is left using the least time consuming method. I never had a plan in buying food. Just buy whatver i like now. and then think later. The less dishes to wash using the most of the ingredients is the name of the game.

And how I cooked too - Omelette bursting with bacon,tomatoes and feta cheese left over from our safari chic theme dinner party, garlic rice and mushrooms, pasta boiled in the rice cooker and tossed in fresh carabao cheese and tomatoes, fruit and vegetable salad from the fruit basket mom sent over for the Chinese New Year. hot pork dumplings with garlic chili sauce and rice.

Today, i bought cream fish dory and asparagus spears. Dory came in one big long hunk which cant fit my toaster. I wouldnt know the proper way to cut it but i hacked off several sized chunks, rubbed salt and pepper, soaked it in olive oil and drizzled lemon juice. wrap it carefully in foil and pop it in the toaster. After several nerve wracking minutes (15 min total in 5 min interval ) I was relieved to see a tender morsel of fish. Drizzle it with more lemon juice. Not bad for a start up cook who almost started a fire with popcorn and microwave.

and Asparagus spears! After reading " Alone in the kitchen with an eggplant", i dream of myself shopping for asparagus in the markets of Paris. One of the authors loved asparagus spears and made them everyday - raw, boiled, plain, sauteed in garlic, soaked in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper... it made me hunker for apiece of asparagus. Of course, i had to do it in the aisle section of Rustans instead.

anyway, as i found out, asparagus is pretty easy to prepare.

drizzle olive oil and pop it in the oven toaster for 5-10 minutes and there you have it!

recipe for

Cream Dory fish fillet

preheat toaster oven

rub with salt and pepper

squeeze lemon over it

drizzle olive oil

top with tomatoes or other stuff you rummage in ref - cheese, onions, garlic,

wrap in foil

pop in toaster or oven.

wait for 10-15 minutes until tender and ready to eat. (best way to know is to try it)

wedding wedding weddings....

2009-02-08T00:33:00.003+08:00

i know im hitched. done. crossed over. But i still have a wedding hangover. I still look at wedding blogs and watch wedding videos. ( just when kelvin thought his personal hell was over) i even watch mine twice at MG Digital's website.. even though Mervin gave me a perfectly good cd right here at home. ( i never figured out the DVD player)

and i am secretly wishing Tin will get married sooner so we can start the planning NOW!!

Maybe if i pester rhett a little more..., he will realizethat the sooner he starts, the sooner the nagging will stop. For my sake!! Just shove a ring at her already!!!!

yey!

2009-02-04T01:45:00.000+08:00

was looking at mg site and saw they posted our video. yey :)

http://web.mac.com/mg_video/MG_digital_video/on_site_08/Entries/2008/12/7_Kevin_%26_Dots.html

diy map :)

2009-02-02T10:11:00.013+08:00

my sis and i were kidding around about starting a wedding map outfit... although im not so sure we are ready to go through hell again! sis 3 and 4 literally dreamt of a second wedding in Davao. And sis 4 was like " what!?!? we have to do this all over again??

so if anyone interested email us!!! littledot78@gmail.com

more pics

2009-01-29T18:00:00.004+08:00

2009-01-29T17:34:00.000+08:00

supplier ratings

2009-01-27T21:05:00.015+08:00

( photo above my m+K)

delayed supplier ratings. For prices, pm me nalang:

pics are :

http://metrophoto.smugmug.com/gallery/6845907_aeXG3

Theme: baroque winter with inspirations from narnia

OTD : Vangie of Wedding Treasures
Vangie is such a dear. We enjoyed all of our meetings because of her bubbly personality ( plus lots of tsismis!) She goes beyond duties in her contract - like making kulit suppliers for me, going to my house to check our room layouts for wedding preps, as well as help me in my tenghun ( chinese engagement). While waiting for our grand entrance, we realized we had no practice on our first dance, so vangie sang ( kahit na wala sa tono) for us while we practiced in the backroom. A friend of mine told me a month later that the coordinators actually tracked her down when she hid in the bathroom during the singles game. I requested her kasi. There were some minor mistakes ( very minor) but still my wedding wont be a success without them. Will definitely recommend them!

VIDEO : MG DIGITAL VIDEO
Mervin is nice and easy to deal with. All requests accomodated. I like his humble and simple demeanor. ABsolutely stress free from start of w. prep to end. I am super happy with my avp teaser and video. They even decided for themselves to do on the spot viewing on the wedding day itself ( for those who cannot see the stage). I didnt realize how big a diff it made to the guests only after the wedding itself. The man is a genius . ( he is also a WEVA award winner)

RECEPTION STYLING - PIDO
I chose Pido because I like antiques more than flowers and I am really into old vintage candlesticks and lanterns. Although he gave us some rental freebies- ( i stil had to pay for the painting and labor so parang hindi freebie? ) some people told me that it was too expensive. Overall though, Pido's work is classy and i love the VIP table and my table. But i feel that i could have gotten more stuff from a diff supplier. Overall, i suggest that if you are into the classy elegant look and are willing to really spend a LOT for the styling - get Pido.

CHURCH STYLING - CRISANTA FLOWERS
My aunt Becky owns Crisanta Flowers so i let her do the bouquets and church. She has done big and small weddings ever since the 90's and I trusted her enough to let her do whatver she wants. She also helped me supervise the whole look of the wedding. Our church turned out beautifully! Everyone liked the bridesmaid bouquet where she just bought chrstmas decor from living well ( a branch with silver berries and leaves). She made the harps and the wings for my flower angels. She also started a family tradition to use stuff toys instead of flowers for the car bouquet. So for mine, i made a last minute purchase - a dodo and a toucan bird. I gave it to them the night before. and she still got time to sew up a little dress for them and dressed them up as bride and groom. She was the one who was worried about my unity candle decor and bible and other wedding paraphernalia. She intentionally did the church decor in a way that she can transfer it to the reception centerpiece in case we had extra tables. Some guests even commented that they like the church centerpieces more than the reception.

SUGARBOX by Emily Uy
emily is a nice person. Masarap din siya kakwentuhan. She is the kind of person who wont charge too much and still tries to give her all. I was extremely happy with my engagement cake. ( naexcte daw siya sa design so it was twice as large as the orginal cake size) however i was not happy with my wedding cake. The design i imagined was not the one translated in the actual. I think maybe her forte is more on whimsy and extravagant designs rather than elegant and dainty ones. I should have played safe and made her do a design in her forte instead of the intricate dainty one i wanted. Nevertheless, i will still recommend her.

PHOTO

MAIN - KARL AND MIMI OF FOTOGRA
Karl and Mimi are nice and quiet people. With my prenup they stayed longer than expected especially since i brought diff costumes. Mimi also helped with dressing up. An advantage with a girl photographer is she can also take pics while im dressing up. I haven't really thoroughly browsed through cd pa :). but my sis said na they miss the mil march. But perfomance wise, okay naman. They were able to catch a lot of people crying too. which was great since our family doesn't cry that much. They got really great candid shots of our guests! We sent them pics and they love it. WIth the prenup, i like it. Their style is more natural and real.

SECOND - OLI OF METRO PHOTOGRAPHY
A last minute decision. Got him 9pm the night before my wedding. Oli was really great. Even if he was only 2nd photog, he didnt copy any of the poses of the main. Instead, he asked us during our free time if we can pose for him. His shots are totally different from karl and mimi so im glad i was able to get two different styles. He called me when we are on the way to Church requesting if we can stop by the Ford service station for a quick shoot. He even kept apologizing to us whenever he tried to sneak some guerillastyle shots. I like the fact he really put some thought in the wedding details. His shots showed his creativity and that he really thought it through. His attitude is a plus - super bait. I got his cd two weeks after the wedding.

BRIDAL GOWN - VELUZ
A Veluz gown is more than a gown. Its an experience in itself. In every fitting, they make you feel like you are the most important person in the world. They tell you that you are pretty, the gown is pretty, your wedding is pretty. I can understand why everyone raves about her. The only thing i didnt like was waiting for the fittings.( sometimes a 2 pm appointment becomes a 3pm) but when you are inside the fitting room, you forget about all that waiting and come out like a woman of the world. Any person who misses that experience, misses half the fun of getting married.

I also liked the fit. First fitting palang, she got it. and the design is something that only Veluz can come up with :) !!! Everyone raved about my gown. Maybe one day, just for fun, ill wear it again kahit na inside the house lang! :)

when i booked her, they told me Miss V wont be there since she is overbooked already. But on the w. day, miss V and her team was there until sendoffs. and even helped with the styling of the pictorials up to my posture and walking on the aisle.

and the gown can speak for itself..

ACCESSORIES
i like my bag and shoes. Although my only complaint was i requested to see the sketch design of my bag first before they make it.. But i was able to see the bag only the night before the wedding. For the shoes, Niko sketched me two designs. i chose the second but when i got the shoes, it was the first design. I guess the reason was i was very confident bec of w@w reviews, i dont follow them up like the other suppliers. One word lang and thats it. However no worries because i super love my bag and okay din yun shoes!!! Im now hoping for a party so i can have a chance to wear it again. But for OC brides, i suggest to make follow-up consistent.

ENTOURAGE - CHRISTINE GO OF COUTURE HOUSE
She was the one who survived my ficklemindedness coz i changed my theme and design like 4 or 5 times. Each time, she had to go to my house and design a new set again as well as do fabric selection. She also granted my request for fittings done at my house. Christine didnt scrimp on the feathers and the swarovski. Since i always visit Carolina's a lot, i know the price of the stones which is why i was surprised that she really put A LOT. My ento also made additional requests like shawl and bags which she provided wthuot charge, as well as additional beading on an extra flower girl. My MIL who came from Davao decided to alter her gown a week before the wedding. Everything was done and delivered in time. I really loved the entourage gowns. It fit my narnia theme perfectly.

beadworks of maid of honor

bridesmaid and their bouquets

HOTEL - MANILA PENINSULA care of JOY LOPEZ
loved the lobby. Loved the food. They gave a lot of freebies. My first account officer resigend in themiddle of preps. So JOy Lopez became our ae. It was a blessing in disguise becase she was quite generous and also handled my last minute requests for more tables ( the afternoon before wedding) and an additonal room for the tables. However,Pen waiters will try to force the bill ( additional guests ) on you right after the wedding. Even if you are tired and stinky and your brain is fuzzy. I finally got mad, and they decided to let me settle it the next morning. Other than that, Pen is perfect, Joy Lopez is always cheerful and even texts us even after the wedding na.

SOUNDS - SENSITIVITY
im not an expert on sounds, but one of my guest singers - Isay Alvarez and Robert Cena were very finicky about the sound system. They will not sing if the sound system is bad. So i guess that fact tht they perform means they must be good. I have no complaints so far.

FOTOBOOTH - NADIA OF PARTYPICS
hmm i didnt get to really see them in action but my sisters complained that they opened late and closed early. Although i doublechecked with coordinators, they seem to start at the agreed time. Since i cant really judge, i cant say. But with my dealings with them during design, they were accomodating and eagerly changed the design a lot of times to fit my specification. Pictures were also clear.

MC - RJ LEDESMA
I originally wanted eva Poon but she was booked already. RJ was well recommended by my coordinator. However, a month prior he found out his secretary who quit on him booked two weddings on the same date. I was like??? I booked you like MONTHS Ago!!! So i did what any desperate bride will do - i pleaded, i begged and i threatened ( to kidnap his yaya) but kidding aside, i dont know what happen to the other bride but in the end, he made it. The program was lively. Most stayed even after desert was served and done. Even my dad who was very picky with hosts liked him. Being a last minute person, i gave the games, acknowledgements and the final decison of program on the day itself. and he didnt even break out a sweat. He also gave good program suggestions. A few guests who were getting married asked me for his number already.

STRINGS - BERNIE PASAMBA
love Austin's baritone voice. I gave my list of songs a few days before the wedding and they were able to do it without a hitch. ( even those not in the list) My 3 year old cousin will also sing, so they volunteered to rehearse with her an hour before the reception.

WEDDING INVITATIONS - INFINITY COLORS/MILLENIAL
I have been their corporate client for years already. I was originally with WEG designs who suggested to print it on glass to incorporate the Winter Theme. Weg suddenly disapeared without notice. ( it was during this time also, a fellow w@wie was having trouble with them) . No one has done it here in the Phil yet and only a handful in the US but i was really into the idea already so i asked Judith of Infinity to help me out. It was her first time to do it in Glass but with my instructions, she made them beautifully. I ran out of invites and i requested for additional to be printed in paper. Ms Judith delivered within 3 days.

Hair and Makeup -DIDING Salon
my grandmother's request is to get her "suki" Diding from Davao. so i will grant her this wish. Okay naman. I had mytrial makeup in Davao. All i plan was to have a trial makeup and thats it. I was wearing a scruffy tshirt and slippers. But no... di daw siya papayag na walang prenup pic. he insisted on calling the studio, accompanying me there to have a photo taken, fixed our clothes, ( i borrowed my sisters dress) help kelvin buy a new shirt. The wedding makeup is good although im too white during the church ceremony. He fmaixed it before reception.

all makeup by diding

HONEYMOON -
Antulang Beach Resort in Dumaguete City
sun, sand and sea ... what more can you ask for? my sisters towed along but we still got a lot of privacy in their pool villa. Activities we did- introdive, snorkelling, kayaking, fishing on the boat, and a tambobo bay cruise. They also set up a romantic dinner by the pool complete with rose petals and candlelight.

http://wandergirl28.multiply.com/photos/album/105/mini_honeymoons-_dumaguete_antulang

http://wandergirl28.multiply.com/photos/album/100/antulang_beach_resort_

SOuth AFRICA - one of the most romantic places to go too. Too many beautiful places to mention but the most perfect moment was in Djuma Bush Lodge. after viewing a leopard on a hunt, we settled down to sundowners of cold wine and cheese fondue as the orange and yellow sun settled down into a ravenblack sky ablazed with a million twinkling stars. One of the safari owners started to tell us each star's story. His laser pointer traversed towards the heavenly bodies like venus, pluto, jupiter, orions belt and milky way aside from other greek names i forgot. Satellites slowly moving across the black plains. The guides voice tells you that everything you are seeing now is light reflected 700 years ago. and in the stillness of the night, the roaring of the lions down by the river surrounded us.

http://wandergirl28.multiply.com/photos/album/107/walking_with_lions

http://wandergirl28.multiply.com/photos/album/108/elephant_safari_zimbabwe

wedding vows

2009-01-23T17:57:00.009+08:00

they say imitation is a form of flattery. So i always get excited when people ask me who did this and who is my suppliers and stuff.

Like mr. A who started asking advice after my wedding. So many questions and talks ( in staggard order) and im quite happy to dispense my all knowing wedding wisdom until last week when he ym about my wedding vows.

my what? ha?? bakit?
ummm....nooooo

Mr. A wants to copy our vows. "kahit iedit edit nalang daw niya" bec he is panicking.

umm no? especially since u brought ur fiance at my wedding!!! i dont think the wifey will be very happy with a copied vow... even if it was a nice one. besides i am an avid believer of making your own vows. although mine was this supper short and crappy one, kelvin's vows are something else and its for me and Mine only. although he did admit that the only line he did copy though was a quote from what barack obama said to his wife when he was inagurated into a position- congressman ata? ( this was not yet presidency) " i may not be able to promise u riches nor fame.. but i will promise u that our life will be interesting "

Even if his words didnt really sink in on wd itself bec me in state of frazzled emotional bubble, I listen to it play over and over again in avp and it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

people cried at his vows. hell. people clapped at his vows. literally

and best of all, Karl and Mimi caught a shot of my sister who established a week ago that they will not be crying over some silly wedding ( sis : cry? yieee! im not crying over you. that is so stupid)

me: so what happened eh? i will never let them forget it.

sis : "eh okay na sana kaya lang vows kasi niya eh!!"

other comments people tell me:

A: Anabelle ( who saw k. only on the wedding itself ) : "we are so in love with Kelvin !"

and "ay naku, when i heard his vows, i said na Dorothy can never top this"

A. Ruby : Dot! walang wala ka. hindi ka star of the show. si kelvin ang star! maslalo na nagspeech siya.

i never did plan to.

english brunch n tea 1030am

2009-01-18T20:40:00.010+08:00

today i had to follow through my idiotic promise of holding sunday brunch and tea for my family. Sort of givin em taste of africa ( conquered by britain so it counts).

woke up at 730 to my personal hell. I realized that cooking for 12 is a diff ball game from cooking for two. So here is a breakdown of the menu

RICE FOR 12

i know i know... how can you botch up rice? I can babble on abt how the qty of rice didnt fit the cooker. ama told me that 1 cup rice = 1 1/2 cup water. so that means 6 cups of rice is equivalent to 9 cups of h20. simple math! and then i tried to claim back the other 2 cups since i realize halfway that my cooker is too small. forget the sordid details. Lets just say, i am not contributing to the rice shortage of the Philippines

i spent around 30min-hr fixing rice mess. laid down on couch and wished for the breakfast fairy to come and take all my troubles away. But reality bites. so i made a 2nd batch instead. the right qty this time.

PANCAKES for 12
i decided to read the quick mix directions the night before to find out that it said - makes 4 pancakes. what??? i need 12!!! panic did not set in until this morning when i realize no matter how much you do the math.. you cant turn 4 panckaes into 12. so kelvin panicked and bought some from pancake house. He also had them open the can of corn beef. ( no can opener at home)

Eggs. whisked them so they are ready for scrambling

klvin: do i pour the everything in?

me: yes

and then you realize, with all the liquid, its like boiling soup in a pan.

me: POUR IT BACK! POUR IT BACK!!

klv: what? you said pour it all in

me: i changed my mind

so we scrambled by batches

MEAT
bought some pricey sausages. was afraid of botching sausages so Unconsciously waiting for someone to volunteer to cook them when they arrive at condo. I mean seriously, i dont think they can stand not doing anything in the kitchen. especially dad or ama or sis. So i fried cornbeef first and then the sirloin steak ( which could pass as elephant rump) and then finally ama arrived and took over. whew.. i can say the sausages turned out yummy.

BEVERAGES
Jasmine tea
MIMOSA - kelvin handled this and it was heavenly. even if some of the kiddies cant take the alchohol
African Coffee - hmm it think it went well - amarula + coffee

DIPS c/o chef Ken
mutable
hummus
Zebra pate ( from Africa)

personally, im so glad ama's nurse took over and washed the dishes. Beko also help because after that, i just want to lay down on the floor and sleep.

today rice.. tomorrow the world!

2009-01-17T20:35:00.000+08:00

after my hubby's false promises to cook rice, i finally made a go on my own to use the rice cooker. Especailly since i made a booboo of inviting family + beko family to sunday brunch. at my house.

apparently, hubby forgot how and had to call his chef brother on how exactly to go about it.

wonder of all wonders!! I actually cooked rice ! and it was as easy as everyone said it was. even if we werent hungry we scarfed it down because i am amazed at my own self.

Today rice... Tomorrow the world!!!!

this is africa

2009-01-13T21:53:00.002+08:00

we entered zimbabwe with eyes open wide ( and mouths closed). A country rifed in political instability and sanitation issues, its only selling point from a distance is the powerful roar of the vic falls. Yet, somehow, it wasnt vic falls that made me sit still and gaze in awe. It was the stillness of the bushes in the early morning. It was the locals, still smiling amidst the poverty and the grace of the animals...

The elephant safari

The lion walk

fried and scrambled

2009-01-10T10:47:00.002+08:00

you'd be amazed at what starvation can make you do. after several days of hungry mornings and cold cereal, i finally tried to figure out the electric stove. Thank God it was an electric stove. childhood reared by melodramatic Pinoy teleseryes fed off this phobia of burning house down by exploding gas stove. So that was why i never did try to cook ever.

so fried egg. i was on a roll here.. so i did scrambled too. hmmm its actually fun. and my fried egg slightly resembles welgelegen's eggs. ( my new standard for breakfasts is our bfast in welgelegen guest house in africa)

Thank God for Yayas!

2009-01-07T01:57:00.004+08:00

Ashton - the world's worst supplier for kitchen table top arrived yday without notice. ( after like a month!seriously the service really sucked! i want to sue them) So we rushed to pack items to avoid dust. Today, i surveyed the damage.

Dust dust dust.. white dust. in a condo where everything was jampacked in two rooms to avoid dust.

I wanted to cry. i brought jenelee and manang miling to help me. But seriously after thirty minutes i called mom to send two more yayas to help. All i want to do is sit down in the middle and die. I dont even know how to work the tail end of our Vaccuum cleaner ( A blessing someone gave us one) My gosh! i actually had to read the instruction booklet!

Thank God for yayas. honestly. Jenelee acted right away fixing our stuff, arranging my canned goods in order of usage, even folding and arranging our clothes ( i just let it pile up- i mean - why bother folding if we wil be using it again soon? )

This is the only time I realized how hard their work is. Mom trained them well. I went back home ( COlumbia) to sleep.

The grocery virgin

2009-01-05T20:14:00.010+08:00

back from cholera ridden africa. back from the a lifechanging experience of lions and elephants. But this post is about my step back into reality. The day after arriving, i realized i might as well do the groceries. There was nothing in ref except milk and yoghurt. no wonder mom kept pushing bread and cheese at us. They must think we are starving. ( well almost)

i have envisioned grocery shopping when married. I, however did not take into account that pre marriage days, you have a maid to cook it all for you. Now that it will be all made by myself, i realized that it aint a pretty sight.

at Unimart Aisle. hmmm have no friggin idea yet what to put on a grocery list so maybe if i walk around, i will find what i need.

Can goods section... well i dont want to buy canned goods coz after that, i might never stop and its v. unhealthy

condiments.... - mustard! honey mustard to be exact. they go with everything. And olive oil. very staple

veggies. yes. got some tomatoes and a bag of organic greens. with the mustard, i can make a salad. eggplants and onions are nice too but it seems too much work to cook it.

i passed the meat section and forget it...... cant stand smelly dead meat hanging on a hook. maybe next time. raw chicken. ewwww.. cannot bring self to touch bumpy skin. nope.

baking? too hard. too much stuff to wash.

tv dinners? v. unhealthy.

yiieshh. what else do i buy?

saw EGGS!! Yes. ive microwaved eggs before. ( fried,soft hard. you name it. i microwave it) i can cook eggs. even if we dont have a microwave yet. i know you cant botched eggs

and ooh ooh hotdogs!!!mankind's greatest invention. i can pop this in the oven toaster and we wont go hungry. Forever.

im stuck.. i call kelvin. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO BUY!!!well being the "pampered first born" he aint much help either.

" why dont u buy something that is medyo luto na that we can heat in a pan"

gee kelvin- if only i know what that something is....

grocery purchase for the day:

1 bag tomatoes
1 organic greens
1 cocktail hotpack
1 mustard
1 olive oil
1 doz. eggs

we are going to starve.

off to africa

2008-12-18T00:14:00.001+08:00

honeymoon in africa.. v. excited. till i read up on their health advisory...

HIV.malaria.cholera outbreak. Gahhhh..i am wrapping a seran plastic over us and not leaving the room. The bacteria could be out there!!!

my wedding

2008-12-16T21:26:00.004+08:00

baroque winter....

the word of the day is CUTHROAT

2008-12-12T17:41:00.005+08:00

the last few days before the WD.. we were going berserk over the guest list. yes. every chinese bride's nightmare...people bringing people, people inviting other people... and people confirming but not coming( hmmm at that point, was actually hoping they do that)

the day before, i finally faced my denial and requested Pen to add more tables. RAM everyone inside and STUFF THEM WITH salmon and chicken so they wont notice the heat. They said IMPOSSIBLE! next best thing? open another ballroom in the garden where guest cant see anything.

My sisters promised to be cuthroat. NO CONFIRMATION, SIT IN THE GARDEN OUTSIDE.
( well what the hell happen to that?)

during the wedding itself, they were able to miraculously find space with the extra three tables. so i guess the fact, that the couples table arrangements were not as large as expected was a good thing. otherwise three very pissy tables will be glaring at me outside the garden area.

well all in all, i think everyone was able to get a seat...i hope....

once again i dont mind abt more guests. its just that i was panicking at how to stuff everyone into a dinky lil ballroom

my wedding

2008-12-06T18:39:00.001+08:00

someone texted my sis on what the theme of my wedding is tom.

me: tell her my wedding is a DISASTER about to happen!!!!

arrghhh

consequences of my inaction

2008-12-04T00:52:00.002+08:00

all my procastinating is now catching up to me.. so will have to forego with a lot of stuff...cram cram cram. turns out im blogging more than im doing.

Bhala na!!! basta. getting married. pangit or hindi!

life lesson

2008-11-30T20:24:00.000+08:00

Remember Greed is one of the seven deadly sins.

You have to learn to be grateful for what you have to get more. When
you are ungrateful you end up with nothing.

saturday surprise

2008-11-19T23:29:00.003+08:00

the bruha's -tin, jan and janice hosted a surprise bridal shower party for me last sat. Surprise surprise... actually i already had an inkling = fishy behavior + my super spidey sense + tsismosa factor.

Kimpura dinner + games...

In all honestly, i was beginningto fret about not having a bridal shower. I want one talga!!! and thank u girls for giving me one! LOVE IT!

i will still try to host an overnight. ( if i can squeeze in one...) for a last single girls hurrah

2008-11-14T21:04:00.001+08:00

excuse me for a moment while i scream

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

let them eat cake

2008-11-14T00:03:00.002+08:00

i like them all!!! ooohhh eat me!

name cards

2008-11-11T02:11:00.004+08:00

diy name cards used for the engagement.

fingers fall off

2008-11-10T23:36:00.014+08:00

Okay ive reached the part where my fingers fell off. Cut myself with scissors doing a name tag. So "Mr and Mrs. Han's Cacdac" ( whose tag i almost stained with my precious blood) dey better be happy! the rest will have to settle for stickers.

here are some pics when we got the invites last Oct twentysomething. The assembly line as follows:

we had to peel off the stickers from glass ( yes.. u read it right. glass)
segregate the entourage list and fit in envelop.
( and then we realized, what idiots!!! hassle pala itangal uli para itype sa envelope ang names. hence the name tags)

Had to tell the whole story of Twilight 1 to keep the work elf from leaving...

Some did it while watching "How i met your Mother"

saan si k? glad to report tumulong din naman siya... we just started without him kasi excited. finished it in one night.

Entourage Dresses under progress

2008-11-10T23:28:00.002+08:00

love the way our bridesmaid's gowns looked.

Didnt really know how the beading will exactly come out but the total output was adorable. Just brought my winter in narnia theme into character.

thanked tong for the bridesmaid gown.

""yay! glad you like it. dami nga gusto yung gown ask nila kung how much sabi ko hinde for sale kasi may ari na. haha. the rest i'll let you know when ma kuha. :) """"

supplier visits

2008-11-10T00:08:00.004+08:00

my visits with Veluz and Pido have left me feeling happy. for a few hours..forget abt my worries and my stress (MAJOR problem about another supplier which i have stored in this draft section of blog!.. naku ang sermon pa naman ngayon ng pastor is LOVE. withut love.. there is no light. - punyeta kelangan ko ng flashlight!!!

okay balik tayo sa LOVE and FORGIVENESS ( after 10 years...)

the diy bride

2008-11-10T00:00:00.005+08:00

invitations are a bitch. but finally worked out decent system with K. he sorts. i tie the stupid damn ribbons. I know we should start doing stick ons but its like an addiction i cant get rid of. everyone needs to get ribbons. until fingers start to fall out. whichever comes first.

whoever started this fad about DIY brides should be killed. tortured. hanged.

Doggone tired

2008-11-05T00:51:00.001+08:00

party dresses

2008-11-04T00:24:00.002+08:00

This is my ama's dress during the tinghun made by Jen L of L couture. For someone at 80. i think it made my ama look hip :) and the gold sequiny stuff made her sparkle. and i asked kung pwede akin nalang after. il have it redone. . :) ( as my sisters say. i have the taste of an old woman)

i also saw my preggy cousin wear this dress on my tinghun. also by Jen. cutey flower.

aww moments

2008-11-03T10:25:00.004+08:00

I borrowed something to read from kelvin for my tinghun. i figured il be bored upstairs while everyone is setting up. BUt come that day, i didnt get a chance to open it. It turns out he wrote a "post it" for me to read right before i go out.

tingun preps

2008-11-03T10:00:00.006+08:00

two days before. We decided to stage a tinghun rehearsal since this is our first time. the oldies r not present. so We used our stuff toys.

Putting name cards on the who's who .
yep.. this one looks like a gwakong

a day before oct 18. Sis2 putting sanhee stickers on like a hundred (?) eggs and cookies and stuff

morning of tinghun. i came back from cherry's home to this.

spam eyeing the tomato poppers.

shneaky shneaky

arranging the poppers

wrapping last minute art cut pastillas wrappers on choc nut bars

Spam is not the only one we have to protect the tomato poppers from!

gown inspiration

2008-11-03T09:57:00.002+08:00

The original picture is with veluz :)

cheating on my registry

2008-11-02T21:28:00.002+08:00

im beyond pathetic. but i stumbled upon a famous blogger's bridal registry - Anton and Rache's (http://anton.blogs.com/) and copied half of it.

Tefal must be a good brand for them to list it down. and yes i do need steam wizard. i think. its something to steam chicken right? or was it to steam your clothes?

Years of being prissy two shoes in hs and im reduced to this...

bridal registry

2008-11-02T19:17:00.006+08:00

I use to daydream about the day i get to pick stuff for my bridal registry. Isnt it fun to choose things for free? That is Until we went to Shang to prepick our stuff

Realization hit me: I DONT COOK. I DONT CLEAN. I DONT DO LAUNDRY. IM CRAP WIFE

Have no idea what to get. like who can tell between a juicer and a blender? I point out at odd looking machines and hope for the best

bridal registry tips

2008-11-02T19:15:00.002+08:00

taken from the Knot

Gift giving is a way for guests to celebrate your marriage and to help you stock your new home. Now’s the time to create your ideal registry! Here’s what to keep in mind when making your wish list.

What are you waiting for? Registering should be one of the first tasks you tackle when you get engaged. Friends and relatives will be looking to buy gifts for all those prewedding and engagement bashes. Take the guesswork out of gift buying by making sure they know what you want. You don’t need to complete your list just yet, but at least have a selection for guests to browse.

Hitting the stores together is essential. After all, the gifts are for both of you. To decide what you need, take inventory of the things you already have and see where the gaps are. Talk about the style of home you'd both like, and split up the final say (you could alternate items) to make it fair. (Maybe he gets to make final decisions on electronics, while you get to choose the kitchen stuff since you’re the chef.)

Don’t feel like you just need to register for china and flatware. Many stores have wedding registries now, so feel free to include whatever it is that will make your new house a home, be it electronics, appliances, or even camping equipment.

Try to avoid filling your list with things you’re never going to use. If you two aren’t the formal party types, then you probably won’t need a crystal punch bowl, as compelling as it may seem when you walk by with that registry wand. Also, be extra sure before you register for anything monogrammed. Once your name is on it, you probably won’t be able to return it.

It's always a good idea to inquire about a store's exchange/return policies. The great thing is many wedding registry retailers have amazing customer service to accommodate to-be-weds' needs (for example you might suddenly realize that you don't really have room for 24 chargers and want to return. say, 8 of them). That said, being aware of the store's return-and-exchange timelines will help you better plan and manage your registry.

As much as you may be hankering for that gorgeous $350-a-place-setting silver, be sure to register for items in a wide range of price points: under $50, under $75, under $100, under $200, and beyond so all of your guests can choose gifts they can afford. You don't want your artsy college friend feeling overwhelmed by the fact that he can't find a single gift; and on the opposite side, you don't want your parents' closest friends to have to buy you a multitude of smaller items to give you a generous gift.

At least one (and preferably all) of your registries should be available online. Guests should also be able to place their orders in person, over the phone, or by fax. If you’ve registered at a boutique retailer that doesn’t offer online services, you should be okay, as long as that’s not the only place you’ve registered. We live in a hectic world and you want to let guests be able to order you a gift -- even if it's 2 a.m.!

When a guest buys a gift for you, your registry should automatically update, allowing other guests to see what’s been purchased (and allowing you to see what’s on its way!). Make sure to revisit your registry often (trust us, you’ll be visiting several times a day once the wedding day nears), and update it with additional selections as products are purchased so that guests always have a variety of things to choose from. Aim to have at least two times more items on your list than guests at your wedding.

Sure some couples love receiving cash but asking for it is not exactly Future Mr. and Mrs. Manners-approved. A more etiquette-friendly option? Try gift cards. Many stores allow you to register for them and you can use them to buy the things you want and need...later. If you are anxious for cash gifts, ask one or two close friends and immediate family to politely spread the word.

Be gracious -- let your guests know their gifts have arrived -- promptly. Thank-you notes for gifts received before the wedding should be sent within two weeks of their arrival. Notes for gifts received on or after the wedding day should be sent within a month of your return from the honeymoon. In all notes, be sure to mention the gift by name.

bad face day. bad day.

2008-11-02T00:18:00.007+08:00

invitations a bitch. The troops (sisters) have deserted me so i spent backbreaking hours tying ribbons on our invites. Correction - HIS SIDE OF INVITES

maybe K is trying to pull a Barney on me but i kicked him out. For some reason, my mother in law gave birth to two left hands. He is now assigned to Honeymoon and Music research.

although im happy to report K's enthusiasm in choosing ribbon colors in Carolinas
(k : meron pala ganito dito? ) and Travel Books.

200 more to go... :(

men and derma

2008-10-31T22:24:00.004+08:00

Kelvin drove me to Blossom to get some bump in his hand checked out.

Blossom took one look at his face and said. Okay this one got to go. and this one. lets do it na rin. daplis lang. dont worry, add ka lang ng *** ( one percent of the total cost- super cheap deal anyone cant refuse) isama ko sa package ni dot. Lets do it now!

he is like : wha ?? what? I just came for my hand!!!

Then they started placing anesthesia over minor spots. During the laser, Blossom felt extra generous and did his whole face.

without the anesthesia. heheeh.

and that is the story of how u sucker a man into getting that efractioned CO2 frou frou...

I was giggling the whole time. It was his second time to go to a derma. ever. Something about real men not going to derma. Well Mboy! This is the day you become a man.

cancellations

2008-10-31T21:11:00.011+08:00

vangie texted me abt a supplier cancellation

WHAT?!?!?!!

highblood!

+ nosebleed!

my face already looked like a truck of tofu smashed into it.

AND NOW THIS!?

sisters were asking "ano na reply ni Vangie?"

wala pa. baka nagiisip pa ano sasabihin? baka natakot kasi tatlong text na nisend ko?

bakit? sinend mo ba picture ng mukha mo?

Thank God for Russell Peters. I need a double dose to calm my nerves right now

*no fault of vangie btw. she was trying to help.

tofu face

2008-10-31T00:39:00.008+08:00

when Blossom - my powerpuff derma found out abt my wedding. she wanted to sked me for a series of IPL and Diamond peel trips. All i wanted was a one shot deal.

so she scheduled me for some efractionated frou frou ( i cant recall what she called it). Anyhoo it was supposed to laserblast whatver dead crap off my face in one sitting to achieve that rosy bridal glow.

How to describe the procedure? Minutes before i went in, I asked Blossom if it really hurts.

Blossom took my hand and said : Maganda talga labas nito! Gaganda ka talga!

Oh fuck.

They said ill be a bit red for a few days. it was an understatement.

I look like Halloween came over and threw tofu all over my face. seriously.

Those little square bumps on your local tokwa at Dao Eng chai? Thats me. correction that's us.

seriously

2008-10-31T00:35:00.002+08:00

seriously. all i want to do is crawl in a cave and wish for things to take care of itself. i need a maid.a secretary. a AI computer that can do stuff without needing my directions.

the necessity of flying + the best wedding food ever

2008-10-28T17:10:00.010+08:00

i definitely need to rethink my Job.

ever since that tumultous flight last June 17. I still have flying fears. Havent set foot in a provincial town for so long, i am actually ashamed to call myself a Promdi. Its been so long, all i want to do upon setting foot in Cebu was to chow down on sutokil style + ihaw ihaw kamayan style" + feet up at some local carinderia. Mom is against any diarhea inducing sutokil so we all compromised by going to Cowrie - the food sucked btw.

But wil report a good flight on Oct 26, 2008 and Oct 28. One hour of not so nervewracking tension for the price of...

one of the best w. receptions ever.

It was buffet. In Marco Polo. In another room. Literally. only a separate ballroom can fit the whole food station. We all filed in line like lost souls registering at the gates of heaven. and when the gates opened. Heaven it was... The food is to DIE FOR! i mean everyone panicked and started shoving mounds of lechon on plates. ( oh that was me)

Aside from usual buffet, Add a sushi bar ( with the loveliest salmon sushi ever) a pasta bar, a dessert bar, a salad bar, Cebu Lechon, Roast beef & Tempura cooked on the spot + newly shucked oysters topped off with chili and lemon. and lets not forget good ol fashion soup and bread.

Uncle Boy must be very happy.

DITCH THE GIRDLE! BIG MOMMA IS COMING IN.

as i said, with food like this. Who needs a program! We can keep busy the whole night crossing from one room to the other. after the reception, we all sneaked back to get more mango crepe. I had three.

After dinner Drinks at the Lounge with parents of w. couple

Bro+2sis went to Forma for more drinks with the newly wedded couple and friends while i chose to nurse my growing tummy back up my room.

The Lees sure know how to entertain. :) A second reception is set at Antulang in Dumaguete. Unfortunately i cant go. arghh!!!!

cebu cebu !

2008-10-28T09:50:00.007+08:00

attended Ian and faye Lee wedding in cebu. Here is why Cebu is leaving Manila Behind

1. a whole space dedicated to charles and keith accesories line ( + more design too)

2. more variety at Breadtalk in SM cebu. Why dont i see Banana Choco, hen and eggs, walnut bread in Manila?

3. PROMODA already in CEBU( now i feel like Promdi city of Manila)

4. so is FITFLOPs

5. Gaisano grocery has more foreign goodies than Davao. ( and Gaisano Davao has definitely more foreign goodies than Manila groceries and department stores. i always ask sis to buy softsoap in Gaisano Davao to bring to manila.

6. Cebu's Loalde has much more nicer stuff. WHy! Oh WHY!

Manila never felt so backwards.

the groomzilla

2008-10-21T09:42:00.006+08:00

now that k can work with the wedding arrgts. He realized why it took me so long to make decisions.

When i say lets decide on wedding video music. He narrowed it down to three songs segregated by category for me to listen. ( he sure knows how to take the fun out of things!) While i on the other hand, listen halfway, check other videos and end up watching MG and Jason Magbanua videos.ym chat. check email. watch hannah montana. play around, talk abt tinghun.i drove him up the wall.

when i told him to look for the church and program music. all he did was check the list bernie gave him. I wanted to hear eveyrthing on the list first and then decide. he thinks im nuts.

yday, he went all serious abt the other stuff.. meetings, manila pen negotiations and food tasting menu etc. we finally are starting to see some of the things coming to a head. I mean, the man is probably going to be vangie's best friend.....

supplier rating- engagement

2008-10-20T00:59:00.028+08:00

Supplier ratings are the rad fad lately. So im doing one. a lil practice for my upcoming wedding.I believe nobody is perfect so no one gets a rating of three. But everyone is definitely great!!!

1 - errr...
2 - just needs some more tweaking to get to fabulous. Wont hesitate to get again!
3- perfectly fabulous

Cake - Emily Uy of Sugarbox
Rating : 2.7
absolutely hassle free. All requests accomodated. Affordable! And to think these are just cakes. i texted her how much do i owe her after my down. She even remembered the agreed verbal dscount. No need to ask again. The cake was HUGE and weighed a ton that it didnt fit the box that came with it. Naexcite daw siya sa design niya kaya nilakihan na niya yun cake. I love the design. i got the apple rhum and K got the chocolate mud. You can actually tell the diff because the choco mud weights a ton more.

Cake is not exactly gourmet yummy. But it wasnt gross either. it was just okay. She can reach three stars if she gets to make the cake "gourmet yummy"

Makeup of Mom and Bride- Cherry Pacheco Uy
Rating : 2.5
kelvin said i look hot. ( hehehe had to write that down) Cherry is nice. I love her outfits. and she tries to chat u up to relax you. She has light hands too, mom fell asleep while having her face done.

I still tend to get oily though and need to pat powder once in a while. Di talga ako bagay sa cream based items. I just want plain powder. Ooh love the hair. The bangs stayed put like forever. Hermm Downside? - expensive.. i aint washing this face till i shoot myself till the digicam dies.

Makeup of Sisters - Irene Manigo second team
Rating : 2.5
My sisters are the pickiest of them all. So to find a balance between affordable yet great makeup was stress. Most were priced at 2-2.5k each. r u shittin me? I was able to haggle with Irene Manigo for 4 pax for so much less and i know she does great faces. A few days before she had to send her second team. Double stress! But irene is polite. Sent me pics of their works. I crossed my fingers.kept it secret from sis.Just kept telling irene how bitchy they are. night b4. Ama backed out so they upped the price again for 3 persons.

Come tinghun day. i came home to find that they are happy with their faces. (FINALLY!)
They used Laura Mercier and it didnt get oily. Sis 4 reports : she looked bitchy and that means the artist enhanced her true colors! great. i totally agree. Sis 3 likes her makeup and sis 2 is okay. She aint picky abt makeup anyway.

Their only complaint? Hair. The hairdresser wanted to flatten it and then curl it. Its unhealthy. And they didnt bring mousse. Just hairspray. BUt overall im relieved someone actually lived up to these primadonnas!

Reception - Choi

Rating :1.9 Stars

I chose Choi for the ambience. To hell with the food! but the food was great. I cant say much for the service. For one, they served the food late. We told them three times to start serving. and when they did, the pacing was too fast. My dad had to tell them twice to slow it down. Im actually okay with fast so we can head on to the pictorials. But i think its some chinese thing to enjoy the food slowly. Third, the refillable drinks suck. Waiters dont refill the drinks at all. And a lot of the guests complained that they had to wait tOO long for the refillable drinks they requested. My sister had to ask for her coke three times. Next time, just order drinks enough for the table. Fourth- I know i didnt ask in advance, but what kind of a chinese resto does not have a karaoke ??? or a mike at least. They have weddings so i presume they should have that. Fifth, pre ocular, a partition & some cabinets were agreed to separate the area with another party. On the day itself, there was nothing. Its a good thing, its not my wedding or else i might throw a fit. actually i dont mind really. But since we are doing supplier ratings might as well jot it down.

Although i do have to say Sylvia of Choi was accomodating and nice. Throwing in free misua and calling us up to finalize stuff ( we finalized a few days before). I wasnt into the lets get close together kind of thing,but she asked abt details on my party and said it was my special day. And she made sure the mango sago desert was sweet and the balls were just right. I hate it when the balls go all frozen and hard ( do i sound kinky? ) I made sure bec i like mango sago.

Flowers - Crisanta Flower Center
Rating 2.5
Fab of course!!! Made by Beko at last minute too. She knows her chinese tinghun stuff down pat. our corsage had magnets instead of pin.
downside - expensive parin :( but thats because she use expensive flowers daw. We also bought some from dangwa. u can tell the diff. the dangwa roses needed aircon and it wilted on the day itself. Crisanta's just stayed fresh as ever.

Photo- Andy Samaniego
Rating 2.6

Andy is nice. And despite the misunderstanding on the price, he gave way to me. He also brought an extra photographer as a freebie. a brief preview showed that He was also able to put a fresh perspective / angle on the event. ( quite necessary to up the ante coz a lot of guests are amateur photographers ) at one moment, I felt like jolie and d paparazzi. Our contract stated 4 hours only but he went back home to do some portrait and prenup shots. :) he stayed from 9 to 4pm. Sulit na rin! One thing i notice is he is discreet in word and action. like when i have dirt on my face, he just motions on it. Or when i changed back to Tongs dress- sabi niya yan daw ang gusto nya dress. sabi ko sana kanina pa niya sinabi. Di naman ako sensitive eh hehehehe. But Kelvin likes that fact. I am just the tactless one in this relationship! Downside? expensive :(

excited to see the photos!! wanna see now!!!!

prayer of thanks

2008-10-20T00:50:00.004+08:00

I thank the Lord for a wonderful engagement party. Despite the last minute preparatons, the panic and the chaos, God made it beautiful. My family had fun and did the best teamwork they can do. I am happy that the impt people in our lives were there to share in the happiness. Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity to experience it. Thank your for ur wonderful blessing and grace.

Tinghun diary

2008-10-18T21:23:00.010+08:00

5am - makeup with cherry pacheco uy

7am - mommy panicking abt driver.

730 - arrive home

800-cake came through. Ooh so lovely! called emily of sugarbox on the 911 with the red boxes that came with it. emily said, she got so excited, she made the cake too big. ( that is why they couldnt fit into the red boxes. It weighed a ton too) I thanked her for the beautiful cakes! I loved it.

8ish -spur of the moment to wrap chocnut in pastillas wrapper. sisters stopping edward from eating all the tomato poppers.

830-k called to say they are there. Boy, dont these people know the importance of being late?

845-struggled into Maidenform body girdle.

846- connie and ipo coming in on us girls half naked in the toilet

848- struggled into dress

900- andy samaniego arrived on the dot

915- mommy wanting ceremonies to start now!!!! connie and party convincing her to wait.

930- friends came in family room for private picture

943- mommy panicking. thinks we need to go out now( after hearing clap)

945- off we go

10- exchange of gifts na ( watch part since that the time i had the watch. it was wrong so i had to ask someone what time it is)

11-done.. kelv bring cake around village

herd people to Choi

12-1230 - tables fill up and start of stuff

230ish - end of party. had some pictures again

back home - pic and some portrait shots

4pm-kelv left.

6pm-dinner
8pm-kongkong and some uy family came for dinner
12-cant sleep...

My TINGHUN

2008-10-18T17:33:00.004+08:00

at 910. waiting inside famroom while kelvins party setting up. Connie running the program by me and all i can think about is..

oh my gosh! The MAIDENFORM body girdle is making me poopy.

Which i did. 10 minutes before the ceremony.