I Like: Melissa

new Melissa shoes...I like!. so pretty, weety, pretty...


which color should I choose...eenie, meenie, mienie, mo...


....paging my dear hubby...i want another pair, hehe...i think I like the black & white combo or the silver one...it could be both...wink! wink!

King of Grass no more

After more than 4 hours of pure tennis actions, Roger Federer failed to defend his grand slam title at Wimbledon. He was aiming for his 6th consecutive Wimbledon title, but Rafael Nadal deprived him of that.

I feel a bit sad for Federer, I was expecting him to win and I wanted him to have his 6th Wimbledon title. I like him better than Nadal. Federer is the epitome of coolness. In every Federer game that I watch, I've never seen him shouting curses, never a time I saw him threw his racket or hit a ball out of disappointment. He is one such gentleman and never fails to show the real meaning of sportsmanship.

Hats off to you Mr. Federer, you are one great athelete person! We will see you on the next Wimbledon season.

Dahil sa isang PVC Pipe

Ito ang usapan na naganap sa pagitan ko at ng isang service crew member ng Whirlpool habang chine-check ang aking washing machine.

(Pagkatapos kalasin ang washing machine at paandarin ito)

Whirlpool Man (WM): Mam, naka-warm setting po kasi kaya may tumutulong tubig dun sa kabilang hose. Dapat naka-set lang po sa Cold dahil wala naman po kayong hot water.

Me: Ah, ganun ba? Yun lang ang cause, wala ng iba?

WM: Opo.

(fine...pinalagpas ko na kahit alam kong di pa enough ang observation na ginawa nya, pano kung hindi yun? pano kung may ibang cause pa?...oh well, pinalagpas ko na)

Pero ito ang di ko pinalagpas:

WM: Mam, napansin ko pa mababa yung PVC pipe ninyo...Dapat medyo mataas po ng konti.
(Note: It is in this pipe where a bigger hose of the machine is connected. This is where the water goes after the washing has been done).

(I'm a computer programmer for almost a decade and I can't blame myself if I become too analytical not only with work but with anything that I deal with...and so I ask and ask until I would get the logic. Also, I'm a first-time owner of a washing machine, kaya di ko lahat kabisado kung ano ang dapat at hindi dapat...I learn by experience.)

Me: Ah, ganun ba? Bakit kelangan itaas?

WM: Para di po tumulo yung tubig.

Me: (wondering kung bakit tutulo ang tubig kung naka-connect naman yung hose dun sa pipe, unlesss butas yung hose or yung pipe....super clueless talaga ako) San tutulo yung tubig?

WM: Dun sa hose po

Me: Pano tutulo e naka-direct naman yung hose dun sa pipe?

WM: E, kasi nga po mababa yung PVC Pipe.

(i'm getting impatient here....and so I left the WM with my mom and had her deal with him...but I overheard him saying again about the PVC pipe and how I can't do an extra large load becaus of the pipe's height....lumapit ako uli to ask more about that.)

Me: Ano? Di pwedeng mag-extra large load? At Bakit na naman?

WM: Mam, kasi nga po, mababa yung pipe nyo (feeling ko asar na din yung WM sa kin). Lalabas po yung tubig.

Me: E, bakit nag-eextra large load naman kami, pero walang lumalabas na tubig.

WM: Ay hindi po, mam, lalabas po ang tubig....di nga po sya mag-wawash pag ganun, dahil tuloy-tuloy lang po ang labas ng tubig.

Me: Ano? Sigurado ka? E, nakakapag-wash nga kami ng extra large load. Ano ba talaga reason mo kung bakit kelangan itaas yung PVC pipe? Imposibleng ang reason mo lang is para hindi tumulo yung tubig. E, hindi naman kasama ng washing machine yung pipe, e.

WM: Kasi nga po tutulo yung tubig.

(At this point, I'm really pissed...why? because I don't know why he keeps on blaming the PVC pipe, when in fact, the pipe is not even part of the washing machine. In my opinion, daluyan lang yung ng tubig pag kelangan na i-expel ng machine yung nagamit na tubig at para hindi na kumalat yung tubig)

Me: Hay! Di ko gets talaga ang logic mo?! Dapat alam mo sagutin ng maayos yung mga ganyang tanong, trabaho mo yan, dapat kabisado mo lahat.

WM: Kasi po yung air pressure malakas...

Me: O sige, tapos...

WM: Kaya po tutulo yung tubig.

(Arrgh...ganyan ba mag-explain ang isang service crew member?!?!)

Me: Haay...pagbalik mo nga sa office pag-aralan mo kung bakit kelangan mataaas ang pipie...I-memorize mo yung tamang sagot, para pag sa susunod na may ma-encounter kang tulad ko, eh, alam mo ang isasagot mo.

WM: (trying to pull up the hose...) Eh, mam kasi po ganto, kelangan natin itaas yung hose ng machine para makayanan po yung pressure nung tubig pag naka-extra large load sya...ganto po dapat kataas yung hose....(pulling up the hose, making it level with the machine)

Me: Ahh, kay kelangan itaas yung pipe para ma-cover pa din nya yung hose pag itinaas.

WM: Opo.

Me: Ay sus...yun lang pala, kung sana kanina mo pa sinabi yun eh di sana di ako nakipagtalo sa yo..... (left him immediately)

Sa sobrang inis ko, hindi ko sya binigyan ng tip. Sorry sya! Pinainit lang nya ulo ko, I felt my blood rising up, sa sobrang inis ko sa kanya...I was raising my voice na to the point na nagising pa yung baby ko, sa galit ko....

Haay...I'm really impatient with this kind of people...nakakainis talaga...hindi nila alam ginagawa nila....kainez!

Do it the Zheng way

This girl is pretty amazing....Unseeded in this year's Wimbledon, ranked 100 plus, but managed to boot out all her opponents (including top seed Anna Ivanovic and #3 seed Maria Sharapova) to reach the semis.

I'm hoping that she'll make it to the finals....but my instinct tells me that it will be the Williams sister who will battle for the Grand Slam.... we'll see. I hope I get to stay awake for tonight's semi-games. =)

Joy of my world

This post is for my cousin Joy, who celebrated her birthday yesterday.



She's a second cousin of mine, and who have been living with us for most of her lifetime. And now, that she's all grown up, she's been my constant companion at home. She has helped me with Joaquin, with the chores at home, she became my "personal nurse" when I was put to bed rest and she's done cooking as well. She's really a BIG help. =)

Happy Birthday Joy! kahit na napapagalitan ka namin, we still love you! Thanks for all your help! Mwah!

Super HOME-star Wannabe

this is for real....some personnels from a top-rating local teleserye visited our place and did an ocular investigation. They were checking if our house can be a place for shooting. They said it will serve as the house of one of the lead stars of the show. Cool huh?!? I'm still holding off the identity of the show and name of the star until we get confirmation that they will be doing shoots here.
In case you are wondering how our house looks like...it's something like this.

I was a bit excited about it coz first, our house will be seen on National TV, who wouldn't get proud of that. Second, the moolah that will be paid to us (in case it will be pushed through) is a lot...I could take a Sabbatical leave from work with the moolah that we'll get. Third, I will be rubbing elbows with some stars..hahaha! feeling papansinin ako ng mga stars.

But then, there are some thoughts bugging me in case the shootings will be done here. First, our house might turn into one big chaotic place. Second, baka maluma ang mga pinagkakaingatan kong furnitures na pinagkagastusan namin. Third, pagdating ng mga samu't-saring usisero at usisera sa aming lugar. Lastly, our privacy might be sacrificed.

What do you think? Is it a deal or no deal?

Proud Mom

I'm a proud mom to little Ej, who's a model wannabe. Click here.

You go son! Mommy's so proud of you. You could have looked better if you weren't sick on your party.

...Love you Joaquin!

And now we're four!

Yes! I'm 8 weeks pregnant! Shocked?!?! So am I when I found it...hubby and I didn't expect this, but we're happy about it, especially hubby, he's very excited. =)

I'm hoping it's a girl this time. =)

How am I? Totally sick! It feels like I'm a first-time preggy woman. Didn't have the same condition when I was conceiving little Ej. I feel nauseous all the time...all-day sickness if I may call it. And I've been diagnosed with minimal subchorionic hemorrhage....scary huh?!? It is actually, I spotted for three days. I thought I was gonna lose Baby X. Ultrasound,didn't tell so....relieved! But my OB put me into bed rest for 3-5 days or until the spotting stops.

Being in bed rest is really a bummer. I was bored to the max! I can't carry and play around with little ej, I can't go out, I can't go up to our room, I can't cook, I can't bake, I can't surf the internet.....totally bummer! On the brighter side, it made my condition better. I haven't spotted for 5 days now, and hopefully it won't happen again.

...I just need to take care of myself a lot more now so that Baby X will grow healthy in my tummy.

Will update you every now and then about me and Baby X...i have another topic to blog about. =)

'Mares'

I was browsing through my Photo Folders, and it made me miss a lot of things from the past.

Just like these two people:

With A in Bohol!

With C in Bora!

Of course, there's Tia, Babes and Gracie as well....I just miss hanging around with you gals!

...oh! how marriage and family can change some things...but nevertheless, I know you gals will always be there when I need you...drama! =)

Kumares forever!

The Little Racer Boy

Joaquin has shown an early sign of fondness with cars. He loves driving around the village with either his lolo or lola or nong-nong or his dad. He loves playing with toy cars, at 10 months old, he already has an RC control, bigger than him.=) He has other toy cars and he is mostly fascinated with wheels. Everytime we drive around, he gushes in awe with the big trucks, buses and motor bikes that he sees.





When inside the car, he takes on the driver seat and automatically hold on to the steering wheel. When we say "Drive, drive", he would steer the wheel vigorously. When we say "Beep, beep", he would blow the horn. And when we say "Kambyo", he knows how to work on with the shift stick.




With his fondness with cars, we decided to give him a "Car-themed" birthday party.


To match the theme, I even looked for racer suits for babies. Luckily, I stumbled upon this website called BabyFashionistas. And alas, Joaquin has this suit:


Isn't it cute? At the back of the suit, there's an Italian flag, with his name below it.


Here he is during the party, he got a fever on his party that's why he looked sick...too bad for him.


But come gift opening time, he was all smiles....

Photo Wall

While checking out Apartment Therapy, I found this great idea in putting up something in the huge blank wall in our dining area..


It's a wall of different photos framed in an Acrylic Glass. It's a cheaper way, instead of buying paintings in frames. I just have to figure out how we can implement this...

Or it can be done this way:

Pictures were put together and were framed, sort of like a collage.

Nice, nice ideas!

My Birthday Boys

Oh yes! They share the same birth date, May 21. Isn't that cool? My little one was born 30 years after my hubby. We had a simple celebration at home, we also had our house blessed by a relative-priest. I prepared baked spaghetti, baked eggplants, fried chicken, macaroni salad and macaroons. The big party happens this Sunday! Can't wait for it!

Love you both...my two darlings!

Blue and Red Room

...Joaquin's room got fixed up today, just in time for his first birthday. This is just one of our gifts for you my little boy.

...the bed area..


...the toys area..


...the play area...


For now, it will only be Joaquin's play room, I can't imagine him sleeping on his own neither sleeping with his yaya on that room and not with me or his dad...No, no, no! For now, he will still be with me and his dad, I still and will always love waking up with him early in the morning. Love you Joaquin!

16th of May!

....woke up at 6 in the morning thinking what's with May 16...i felt that there's something special about this date.

4 hours after, I had the usual conversation over YM with Daddy Edge, here how it went:

<> (5/16/2008 9:58:00 AM): hi hon..
Tey (5/16/2008 9:58:08 AM): hello
<> (5/16/2008 9:58:31 AM): Happy Anniversary!!!
<> (5/16/2008 9:58:32 AM):
Tey (5/16/2008 9:59:18 AM): hehe..oo nga no!
<> (5/16/2008 9:59:28 AM): hehe...
<> (5/16/2008 9:59:42 AM): date tayo bukas..
<> (5/16/2008 9:59:48 AM): with wakwak nga lang..
Tey (5/16/2008 10:00:00 AM): hehe..sige
Tey (5/16/2008 10:00:29 AM): kaya pala kaninang paggising ko, inaalala ko kung ano okasyon ngayon
<> (5/16/2008 10:00:36 AM): hahaha..
Tey (5/16/2008 10:00:48 AM): alam ko meron, di ko lng maisip

....now I knew, it's our BF-GF 3rd anniversary! buti na lang, hindi matampuhin si Daddy Edge. hehehe.



3 years of being together! cheers to us! =)

Huling Hirit sa Summer

In my previous post, I mentioned that I'll be gone for the weekend...Here's a rundown of the activities we had on our Anilao Trip.

Saturday
...went to Anilao, Batangas with Ejay's friends
...had a yummy brunch at Ian's place
...went straight ahead at our resort Monte Carlo
...rode the scariest boat ride ever, it was 2pm, we were supposed to go snorkling. the current was too strong, but we still rode the boat, it was my first time to get sea-sick, the ride was horrible, I was holding to one of the boat's post very tightly, too scared to let go, I've been wanting to go back to the resort but I was too hesitant to request that. Unfortunately, we were not able to snorkle, the water was too foggy, there were no fishes. We went back to the resort and the current was still very strong, going down the boat was really a nightmare for me, it was like a scene in a movie, I thought I was gonna drown, my right leg was even hit on a cemented stair going up to the resort. I was holding tightly to the boatman as he helped me get up to the shore...it was a traumatic moment.
...but still, we managed to spend some time at the resort's pool.
...tried learning 'Poi' but failed.
...had dinner at the resort's restaurant. food was so-so, it was expensive! di kami gaano nabusog.
...watched Kung Fu Hustle (tagalog version).

Sunday
...went snorkling at Dive & Trek..finally! The weather was good, the water was calm. I was a bit nervous going down the boat coz I still had a vision of what happened to us the other day. But in the end, I still enjoyed swimming with the fishes.
...upon checking out from the resort we directly went to Tagaytay.
...spent my first Mother's Day (as a mom) with the group at Josephine's Tagaytay - had our late lunch there.

...in between those, sang katutak na katatawanan at kalokohan from the group! wala talaga silang kupas! See you in Bangkok!

Off to a weekend get away.

I feel excited coz I'm heading to the beach this weekend with hubby's friends...but I'm leaving home with quite a heavy heart. Edge and I decided not to tag along little Edge as it is not ideal for our baby to go snorkling with us, I doubt he won't handle a more-than-5-minute-boat ride (he got sea-sick when we went to Potipot Island on a 5 minute boat ride.

But I'm still looking forward to our weekend get-away. I sometimes feel that I need some time apart with my baby (he has become too dependent on me) and from the household. I told my housemaids that it's my turn to have a day-off...hehe.

I'll definitely blog about my weekend get-away...for now, I need to pack things up coz I'll be leaving in 30 minutes. Good luck to me, I'm taking the bus going to Manila and meet Edge there. I haven't took a bus for the longest time. Ciao!

Bye, bye Jason Castro

...he's my crush on AI, he reminds me of Jason Mraz (another favorite artis of mine) when he sings. He may not sing as powerful as the others but he's got the looks and charm that can swoon any girl's heart..... sayang sya, he wasn't performing well during the past several weeks, I admit, kaya feeling ko , people started losing interest on him... haay, sayang talaga sya.

Organize, organize, organize!

Home organization is a skill I'm trying to practice to satisfy my OC-ness. Well, dati pa naman ako OC, i think I got it from my Mom, who's super-uber OC. I'm a tamed version of her when it comes to pagiging OC. =)

I really need to learn more on home organization...with a house like ours, it's but just right to do this. And as a woman, I think it is my responsibility that I maintain our home and keep it spic and span.

I hate clutter that is why my husband and I opted for a modern-minimalist theme for our home. I don't like too much accessories in display, they are just dust collectors. I like things hidden in cabinets, but I still want the cabinets to be organized as well. I am even thinking of documenting the contents of my cabinets, hehe... kasi habang tumatagal, dumadami laman nila. And I am starting to get confused on which items are stored on which cabinets.

Good thing, I found this article in this site, that discusses some tips on organizing. I find them very helpful and I plan to practice every item in the list, one step at a time. Here's a run down of the tips. I'm reposting them here, in case mawala yung article from that site. =)

Top 10 Organizing Tips From Chez Larsson
1) Edit, edit edit.
How many pots and pans actually fit on your stove at the same time?
How many clear vases can be filled with flowers at one time? Many if you have a cutting garden, not so many if you live in a small city apartment.
How many (if any) ugly pens you got for free do you need?
How many T-shirts do you need to save for your next paint job? My husband Martin claims many and he never picks up a paint brush. I say one and I’m the one who does all the painting around the house…
I constantly edit my belongings.

2) Let it go.
I always keep a row of grocery bags in the garage designated for stuff I want to get rid of. One goes to the local charity shop, one goes to my son’s younger cousins, one goes to recycling. When one bag is full I bring it to wherever it’s intended. I love it when all the bags are gone!

3) It’s only “stuff”.
You probably won’t regret what you’ve edited out. Considering the masses of stuff I constantly get rid of all the time I can only remember two things I’ve regretted. A few old letters I wish I’d kept and quite recently an Alvar Aalto Savoy vase which had a corner chipped off. I saw someone on AT cast a cement door stopper in one and wish I’d saved mine… But then again I have another one with a tiny chip so…

5) One in - one out
When getting something new get rid of something old. I really do. If I get a new pot for the kitchen I check the cabinet so see if an old one can go and if not I get something from another cabinet and toss that.

6) Own what you love.
Just because somebody you love gave you something doesn’t mean you have to display it or, in my case, even keep it if it’s not to your taste. I’m ruthless about this and feel it’s much better to pass it on to someone who will appreciate it more or to someplace that can use it. I can honestly say that in my house we only have things we really like. Martin doesn’t always agree with all of my things and I may not always agree on all of his but at least someone in our household loves it.

7) Buy storage in bulk.
For a streamlined, less cluttered look get lots of the same boxes in one color. I spend a bit of money here and get all the same boxes from IKEA. My favourites are white cardboard Kassett boxes for upstairs and clear plastic Flaj boxes for the storage room and garage. They are really inexpensive but when you get lots it amounts to a bit of money. I must have about 25 Kassett and 40 Flaj by now… I print the labels on my printer for neatness.

8) Corral your Clutter.
To avoid day-to-day clutter I keep containers in clutter prone places where I corral all things trailing about. There’s a green glass container by the front door where I put keys, cell phones, coins, buss passes, lost (and found) buttons, sun glasses etc. In the home office area there’s another one for desk related things like paper clips, eraser, push pins, business cards and other stuff laying about. In the kitchen there’s a tray on top of the microwave where I gather stuff found on the kitchen counters. Once in a while I empty the stuff out and put all the things in their correct places and start over.

I also keep a basket by the stairs where I put stuff which needs to go downstairs. When the basket’s is full I bring it downstairs and put away the things where they belong.

For paper clutter I’ve added vertical slots in my home office where we each have one slot and I put the papers in there. If Martin or Wille are looking for something they know where to find it.
There’s one slot for bills too. I open all mail every day as soon as I get in and keep a recycling bin by the door. All junk mail goes directly in there and the bills go in the bill slot.

9) Rotate your collections.
It’s not necessary to display all your belongings all the time. I switch things around quite a bit and enjoy the changes. A lot of our collections are in cabinets and boxes but every now and then I bring a different set of things out to enjoy.

10) Buy white.
I always buy day to day supplies in white, no print, no color, just pure white. Paper towels, toilet brush, dish towels, laundry pegs, toilet paper, candles, napkins, the list goes on. White looks clean and fresh and doesn’t draw attention to the boring day to day stuff we all need. Also with white you see when it gets dirty and needs changing

It's been awhile...

...since my last entry... wish I could have the energy to write about anything, but I've been too lazy writing stuff but I do blog-hopping.

I mostly read mommy-blogs coz in one way or the other I can relate to them... I adore these mommies who religiously write about everything and anything. And I'm inspired now to make this blog work for me...hopefully I'll be successful at it, this time around.

Wish me luck!

FoUr!

I got tagged by the group: 08DEC2007 Brides.

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Programmer Trainee
2. Associate Consultant 1
3. Programmer/Operations Manager
4. Programmer/Stay-at-home-Mom
geeky! in short programmer for life ako!


Four movies I would watch over and over

1. Notting Hill
2. 13 Going on 30
3. 50 First Dates
4. Beautiful Mind


Four places I have lived:

1. San Fernando, Pampanga
2. Angeles City
3. Taft Ave. Manila (my dormitory)
4. Makati City


Four TV Shows that I watch:

1. Grey's Anatomy
2. American Idol
3. Top Design
4. Lobo (serious!)


Four places I have been:

1. Singapore
2. Boracay
3. Bohol
4. Puerto Galera


People who e-mail me (regularly):

1. email group: dailyreports (work-related)
2. Mercado cousins
3. my boss
4. technical consultants from US office


Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pasta
2. Pizza
3. Cheesecake
4. chocolates


Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Anywhere na may beach
2. LA to visit my cousin Toni
3. Toronto to visit my cousins
4. Malls in Manila.


Four people I think will respond:

No one..didn't forward this..


Four Things I am Looking Forward to This Year:

1. my son's 1st birthday
2. summer!
3. my cousins' visit
4. completion of our new home

Home Find: WestElm

Another home find: ...WestElm ...another very good source for unique furnitures.

I will surely visit this again, not to purchase but get some inspirations when it's time for us to build some furnitures again... Yes, some of our furnitures were just customized, our ID gave some sketches and we just hired carpenters and painters. They turned out beatiful, just like those being sold in malls. It was a long wait though, seeing the furnitures being finished, but it was worth the wait. We got to save a lot plus they fit the house space very well since they are customized...will post pics soon. =)

Home Finds: Chiasso and Umbra

I wish they have this store here: Chiasso. Their pieces will suit our modern minimalist home...i wish, i wish!

I also wish that Umbra products are as cheap as those in US...man, umbra items here are twice as expensive as those abroad...grr. kainis...

But for now, I have to settle with cheaper home accessories but still exude that modern minimalist atmsphere that me and my husband like. Maybe in a year or less, we can afford to buy chiasso and umbra already. =)

Kikay Find: Methilation Shoes

Since I'm starting to become lazy posting entries, i.e, making kwentos, etc., I thought I'll just save up some internet links that I find interesting for me so that I can come back to them anytime I want (gawin bang storage space ang blog spot, hehe.) Feel free to visit them as well... =)

Let me start of with this kikay find:
Methilation Shoes

When it's time for my regular shopping habit, I'll surely consider getting a pair or two from this site. To all kikay girls out there, check them out!

How's Joaquin?

...he's 8 months old now, he's enjoying his walker, and he's eating a lot of solid foods now.....plus plus...he's a chick magnet! look at this...

What's up?

It's a been a very long time since my last post...there so many things that I should have blogged but I was kinda lazy to write. =)

So what's up with me and my world?!? I've been busy with:

1) The Holidays.

2) Lights shopping for our new home. It was kinda stressful to look for the perfect lights that will suit our home and of course our budget. Good thing there's MC Home Depot at the Fort. Plus there's a store in Pampanga that sells the cheapest pinlights and bulbs, jackpot! But still, it ate up a lot of our money.

3) WORK.

4) Taking care of Joaquin and of course my hubby, they're both a handful now...sometimes it could be stressful.

5) Furniture shopping! another big hole in our pocket.

6) Packing up things in the apartment. We're moving back to Pampanga (major decision), at our new home. Actually, it's only me and Joaquin. Hubby has to stay in Manila 'til he finds a good job in Pampanga.

7) Home shopping! It could be fun as long as you have the money to splurge on things.

8) Packing up my things at the office. Lucky me! My boss allowed me to work from home permanently. Yahoo!

Today will be our last day at the apartment. Truckers will move our things to Pampanga tonight. Bye, bye Teresa St! Hello Krystal Homes!