birthday bash!

I turned 26 last October 15 and I celebrated my birthday twice. :)
The first one was with Al's family at Paeng's Bowl and Seafood Island, Eastwood City last October 11. Ang saya! As usual, eng-eng ako sa bowling. But Dady Andy was a revelation. Member pala sya ng bowling team sa NPC before. Shar! Sila ang nanalo. Teammates kami ni papa and his sister, Faye. Tapos magkakampi sina Dady and Mamy Beth, Ate Susie and Tin-tin. Si Kaz ay salingkit muna. :) Grabe, over a hundred points ang lamang nila! Promise, magpapraktis na talaga ako for the next tournament, hehehe...

The second one was with my family at Bellini's, Marikina Shoe Expo, Cubao last October 15. Since I love Italian food, ito ang napili kong place. It's our first time to eat here and ang sarap! We ordered antipasti for appetizer (risotto on bell pepper), pasta platter (5 different pastas, pesto lang ang kilala ko, teehee!), and the Bellini's Special Pizza (meat and veggies. with cucumber! sarap!). Busog na busog kami. For dessert, we ordered orange cake, walnut cake, and banana cake. Mr. Roberto Bellini, the owner, was there with his son. May acoustic performer rin (guitar), who I think was blind, and he was good. I like the ambiance of the restaurant and it's perfect for lomographers! Yahahaha! S'yempre nag-enjoy din ang aking mga lomo cams: Sweet (Holga 135BC) and Cyclops (Actionsampler Flash) and Yoshi (Yashica 35 GTN). Nun nga lang nabigyan ng pangalan ang actionsampler namin. Si papa ang nagbigay, hehe.. We even saw one customer who had a Diana camera with a ringflash. Cool! May mga mural kasi sa walls and ceiling and there were several pictures of celebrities since Mr. Bellini was a former paparazzi. :)

Thank you, Lord, for another year. Hoping for more blessings and birthdays to come.

Wedding Kuwento

Na-miss ko ang pag-blog! Hehe.. Our wedding was a success. We were blessed with a good weather, thank you talaga kay Lord at hindi umulan kahit na maulan that week. Maraming realizations, may occasional glitches pero masaya pa rin sya. Ang naging mahalaga sa akin, I felt the sincerity of the event. The mass was very solemn, the reception was fun. Sometimes, you want your wedding to be so grand and nice and everything, pero in the end, it's still a celebration of a couple's special union with the Lord. Masaya ako na tamang blend lang ng "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves" ang aming wedding. Minsan kasi, baka nakakalimot na rin ang mga brides, that we tend to include all the elements that we want in our wedding, nasasapawan na yung tunay na ipinagdiriwang sa araw na iyon. Just like Christmas, where people sometimes forget the reason for the occasion, hehehe.. :)

Ang hindi ko lang talaga makakalimutan, when Fr. Mon Bautista, SJ blessed our rings tapos isusuot na namin sa isa't isa, Al and I got our OWN wedding rings. Kaya naman nung isinusuot na ni Al sa akin yung ring, sabi ko, bakit maluwag? Naku baligtad! hahahahahaha! nagpalitan na lang kami kaagad. Buti nga hindi narinig sa mic yung sinabi ko, hehe.. I'm not sure if our priest and our parents/sponsors noticed it kasi when I asked them, wala naman daw silang napansin. hahahah! Tsaka si Fr. Mon, nakalimutan din yung "You may kiss the bride." Bakit nga ba nagiging common instance na yun? Wahehe.. I was always smiling during the wedding din pala. Hindi ako naiyak, si Al ang umiyak. Hehehe.. At narinig ko nang malinaw ang aking bridal march song kaya timing ang paglakad ko. Ewan ko ba, I felt so relaxed and happy. And napansin nga ni JR Sebastian (of Parkershot) during preps na hindi raw ako nagpapanic. He asked me tuloy kung bride ba talaga ako. Hehe.. Also, kahit nung wedding mass and reception, I was checking (making mental notes) kung nasusunod ba yung mga napagkasunduan with the suppliers, ganyan. Haha! Maganda talaga if you prepare early for the wedding.

We also had a one-of-a-kind adventure in our Singapore and Kuala Lumpur Honeymoon last week. We left last September 22, 2008 aboard Cebu-Pacific and yes, delayed ang flight to SG for an hour and 20minutes pero oks na rin. Importante sa akin nakaalis kami. Pero naghysterical ako sa cab going to NAIA 3 that time kasi si mamang driver na nasakyan namin eh hindi alam kung paano pumunta sa NAIA3!!! I was instructed by our office's driver to go to the Magallanes Lane papuntang SLEX kaso sa Pasay napunta ang driver. Eh almost 7pm na yun, 820pm ang flight. Thank God umabot pa rin kami! At delayed sya. hahahahha! We got back last September 29, 2008 aboard Malaysia Airlines naman. :) Successful din ang ginawa naming DIY itinerary. :)

Masaya ang buhay may-asawa.. :) But I know there will be bigger responsibilities ahead.. Hopefully the Lord will continually bless us and guide us on our journey.. :)

To view some of the "official" pictures, please visit: http://parkershotphotography.com/blog/

pagod na ako..

Hay.. Malapit na ang D-Day.. napapagod na ako.. 
Last Saturday, Al and I claimed my bride's permit and banns from San Isidro Labrador Parish in Tandang Sora then we brought the documents to OLCP. yehey! finished na kami sa mga church docs! After nun, punta muna kami sa UP Law to give the invites to my former law classmates who are invited shempre sa wedding ko (Mama Mia, June and Miguel). Saya nga eh.. na-miss ko yung lugar. hehehe.. Lunch din kami sa Roddic's (sarap talaga ng tapsilog! da best!) Then we went to Fersal Inn at Kalayaan Avenue to reserve a room for Al's preps (where we also intend to stay after the wedding para naman ayos ang unang gabi. charot!) then to Printed Matter to claim our invites reorder. Nakalimutan lang ang aming sticker so we waiter for about 20minutes or so kasi dadalhin from their production area. After that, we went to Al's home in Meycauayan to arrange the distribution of the invites.

Inabot na nga ako ng gabi sa kanila, kakaayos ng mga invitation. Mabubuang na ako kabibilang kasi nakakalito na minsan. hahahaha! :) We will also be preparing an avp for our suppliers, para pang-entertain sa guests habang kumakain or habang naghihintay sila na dumating kami from our post-wedding pictorial. :)

Yesterday we already started distributing the invites and i'm so happy that the people appreciated it and loved it! Even my boss realized kaagad that our wedding was themed after a "movie premier night". Galing! Pero s'yempre, may ilan din (yung mga may edad na, hehehe..) who reacted to the color of the invite (the entourage page being black with gold stars at the side). hay naku, ang mga tanders talaga!

countdown na.... please pray for a good weather. grabe ang lakas ng ulan kanina!!!!

another long weekend na walang pahinga, hehehe..

August 23-25 was another busy weekend for me. Blessing na rin na may mga long weekends na ganito before D-Day dahil nagkakaroon kami ng time ni Al to do some stuff. Heto ang ilan sa kanila:

*August 23:
 - I accompanied Mama to BenchFix Salon in ABS-CBN (with my dear friend Kat who's back from the Lion City) then we went to Ms. Adora for Kat's fitting. Mama will have another gown na lang and ayusin na lang daw yung 1st gown sa size ko para hindi masayang. I wanted her to have a more elegant gown kasi, shempre, mother of the bride di ba? :) Maganda yung gown kay Kat, bagay yung style. I'm really happy with how the dresses of the entourage turned out. :)
 - I finished wrapping the entourage gifts. Yehey!
*August 24:
 - Al, Jolo and I met with Mang Rey Casedo at Mcdo Quezon Ave.-MRT to pick-up the barongs. Ok na ok ang fit kina Al! I loved Jolo's barong, ganda pala talaga ng design nun. hehehe.. :) After that, Al and I finalized the design of our gift tags for the entourage and sponsors. Heavy rains today.
*August 25:
 - 2nd fitting of the entourage with Ms. Adora (we missed Bel, she had to do something important sa office). Mas magaganda na ang mga damit ngayon! It really improved compared to the 1st fitting. Magaganda ang mga abay ko, hehehe... I went with Al's family to Trinoma after the fitting 'coz they had to buy shoes for the wedding. I helped Faye and Tin choose their shoe/sandal design. We just had difficulty with Faye's size (size10) 'coz most of the designs I liked didn't have a size 10. hehe.. buti na lang may isa kaming nakita. :) Nakakahilo ring maghanap ha. :)
 - We had lunch at the supermarket foodcourt. Sarap ng sizzling! Starbucks din muna while waiting for Ninong Mike to come home from the airport. I even met Jolo pala at the MRT entrance to Trinoma 'coz I asked him to bring Ninong Mike's invitation since I didn't know that we were going to visit them. Buti na lang may lakad si Jolo sa Sucat at nasa haus pa sya when I called him. Around 330pm, we left Trinoma to visit Ninong Mike and Ninang Angie at their new home in Quezon City (near Times St.). I liked the new house, it's better than the old one. Ninong Mike just arrived from a flight abroad pero ok pa rin sya. Sya pa nga nag-drive ng kotse nila pauwi, hehehe.. May merienda pa nga uli kaya busog talaga kami. It was a great bonding experience with Al's family. Saya!

Hay, ilang tulog na lang, wedding day ko na.. :)

BIGORNIA-MARTINEZ NUPTIAL SUPPLIERS

PRODUCTION TEAM FOR THE MOVIE, "IKAW LANG ANG MAMAHALIN" STARRING AL BIGORNIA AND MARIA PILAR MARTINEZ (PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 20, 2008):

1. Church - Our Lady of Consolation Parish
2. Reception - Bulwagang Recoletos (beside the Parish)
3. Catering - Eloquente Catering
4. Photo/Video - Parkershot Photography
5. Bridal Gown/Mom's Gowns/Entourage Gowns - Adora's Creations
6. Barong (Groom, Father of Groom, Brother of Bride-Veil Sponsor) - Mang Rey Casedo
7. Souvenir - All-you-want Photo Magnets by Konsepto
8. Florist - Flowers of May
9. Lights/Sound System - c/o Eloquente Catering
10. Projector/Screen - c/o Parkershot Photography
11. Cake - Gervy's Amazing Cakes
12. Make-up Artist - Vicky Sta. Ines (resident make-up artist of our company choir)
13. Wedding Ring - Tony Berboso (Mama's alahero)
14. Invites - Printed Matter
15. Bridal Car - kotse namin, woohoo! :)
16. Coordinator/Host - Loi Villarama and His Angels
17. Priest - Fr. Ramon Ma. L. Bautista, SJ
18. Token for Father/Male Principal Sponsor/Male Entourage - Louis Maclean wines
19. Token for Mother/Female Principal Sponsor - Regalong Pambahay
20. Token for Brother (Veil Sponsor) - mini cake from Gervy's Amazing Cakes
21. Token for Female Entourage - DVDs of our favorite movies
22. Token for Groomsman/Bridesmaid/Little Bride - bags/backpack from SM
23. Token for Flower Girls - teddy bear from Flowers of May and kikay toy kit from SM
24. Token for Bearers - toy car and remote control cars from SM
25. Bridal Registry - Rustan's

lapit na! :)

long weekend chuva

Napaka-productive ng long weekend for us.. sobrang dami naming na-accomplish! 

*August 16:
 - We went to Printed Matter to request for revision of our invites. As usual, nagkamali na naman ako ng spelling. haha! Kaunti lang naman, for the copies lang of Al's family since pamangkin nya yung mali ang spelling. Humabol pa nga kami kasi akala ko 4pm sila mag-close, yun pala 430pm. hahahahaha! Late na kasi ako nakapagprepare, as usual, nainis na naman si Al at napakabagal ko raw.
 - We visited the studio apartment for rent in Marikina na nai-recommend ng isang wawie. Nahirapan kaming hanapin kasi hindi kami familiar pareho sa place pero good thing, nahanap namin yung lugar!
                      (whew!) We were becoming impatient already 'coz we don't know where we are na, if we're lost or what, hahaha! The apartment was ok. Yun lang the room was very small (isa lang sya). sayang nga eh, kung nagkataon lang na malaki yun, baka kinuha na namin. Marami ring fruit-bearing trees sa lot nya. Yung sala talaga ang maganda kasi maluwag. I'm just bothered with the CR kasi medyo maliit at mas mababa ang level nya than the floor level of the apartment (parang basement), hehe..
 - SM North was our last stop. I had to return the splitter we bought kasi hindi naging effective sa TV namin. We also bought gift wrappers at National for the entourage gifts. Nag-grocery na rin kami kasi wala na kaming makain sa bahay. hahahahaha! :) I also had my purple bag repaired (yung zipper) kasi gagamitin ko sa isang wedding na pupuntahan namin ni Al.

*August 17:
 - Late na naman akong nakaligo. teehee! Mama, Al and I went first to Ms. Adora for our fitting. It was my first time to fit my bridal dress. Ang ganda nya! Ms. Adora used Italian satin at ang gaan ng damit ko. Mas mabigat pa yung petticoat sa ilalim, hehe.. The feeling was different. Masaya lang talaga ako at napakasimple nung damit pero bagay sa akin. It has to be adjusted lang kasi medyo maluwang sa likod, tsaka yung sa may bustline medyo liliitan (yeah i know, i'm not gifted, bwaha!) para mas maging swak sa frame ko. Yung kay mama, ok lang din. After that, we went to Mcdo at Quezon Ave.-EDSA (near MRT) to meet with Mang Rey Casedo, our barong supplier, from Lumban, Laguna. Naligaw pa nga sina Tito Andy and Tita Beth (my in-laws) kasi they went to the Mcdo branch along Quezon Ave., the one across National Bookstore and Mercury Drug. Ang agang dumating ni Mang Rey! I appreciated it that he was on time for our 1pm appointment. Dumating na rin si Jolo (my brother) kasi papatahian ko rin sya ng barong. He was in Guadalupe kasi that morning. We had our lunch there.

Maganda yung mga designs ng barong ni Mang Rey. For Al, we chose piña silk na chinese collar pero regular button. Yung design nya, terno sa bridal gown ko.  For Tito Andy, piña cocoon naman na ang ganda rin ng design. For Jolo, he chose the design of his piña jusi barong which I also liked. Mura na nga rin ang kuha namin sa mga barong ni Mang Rey. I also requested him to make a camiso for Jolo kasi hindi kasama sa price nya yung panloob.

Dumaan muna kami ng office kasi hindi pa naliligo si Al. hehehe.. dun na sya sa gym naligo. Then we went to Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches after our Mcdo appointment. It's Visitation Sunday for the novices and matagal ko na ring hindi nadadalaw si Jason (my college friend) doon. We met his two sisters there. We also attended the mass, buti nga at umabot kami. Nakilala na rin namin si Fr. Ramon Bautista, SJ, our officiating priest sa wedding. Mabait sya. I like his aura. hehe.. very fatherly. :) hahahahah! We will visit him again on September 8. :)

We dropped by SM North uli on our way home 'coz I had to pay my cellphone and HSBC bills and I had to claim my purple bag na pina-repair ko sa Mr. Quickie. Joseph also dropped by na rin sa house to give us the edited copies of our DIY invites. :)

*August 18:
 - This time I woke up really early kasi 1st fitting ng entourage ko. We're supposed to meet at 8:30am at Mcdo-Quezon Ave cor EDSA (near MRT). Yeah, favorite place namin to meet, hehehe.. Accessible naman kasi sya to those who are coming from España and Ortigas. Pinauna ko na sina Al (with his family), Ate Lyn and Bel ng 830am kasi Bel had to be in the Podium by 10am. After two minutes, dumating na si Besprend Joyce. I had breakfast na lang muna tapos chika na lang muna kami while waiting for Al kasi ihatid nya uli si Bel sa may mrt after her fitting. Siguro mga 15mins lang, andun na uli sila sa Mcdo. I was happy with the gowns! Wala syang beading, idinaan lang sa style ng damit and I liked it. Ang galing ni Ms. Adora! My entou was also happy with their gowns. :) yehey! I just had to make a few adjustments sa length ng skirts ng secondary sponsors para maging mas sexy. :) Pinasukat ko uli sa kanila para makita ko. Pati sa MOH ko, my besprend Joyce, may ipina-adjust din ako. We missed Kat that time kasi she was in Singapore for a birthday vacation. :)

After the fitting, nagpunta muna kami sa Waltermart sa may Muñoz kasi dapat bibili ng tela si Tita Beth. Kaso walang shop ng tela doon. I had lunch at Al's house in Meycauayan (sarap!) then balik na kami sa Tandang Sora 'coz I had to prepare for Mike's wedding (officemate namin ni Al). I wore a purple and pink long dress that I borrowed from Atty. Mia. Ang galing nga kasi sakto sa akin yung sukat nung gown! hahaha! :) We were a bit late for the ceremony, 'di na nga kami nakapasok, maliit lang kasi yung chapel. Sa Archibishop's Palace sya in Villa San Miguel, Mandaluyong. Reception was held at The Blue Leaf, The Fort. Blessing in disguise na may kailangan kaming ihatid na damit sa brother ko in Guadalupe (they had a team building) kaya shortcut na lang kami going to The Fort. Maganda yung Blue Leaf! Medyo malayo nga lang ng kaunti sa main happening places ng Global City. VS&F ang caterer, sarap ng food! Maganda rin ang set-up ng place. Late na nga lang nag-start ang program (8pm) kaya medyo antok na kami when it ended. Kakaunti na nga lang ang bisita nung umuwi kami. We stayed for awhile at Starbucks bago kami umuwi. It was a tiring day, pero masaya. I liked Andrea's bridal pouch bag, haha! And also the design of a ninang's dress (which I recommended to Mama kasi she's thinking of changing her gown).

*August 19:
 - Rest day ko. I just wrapped the gifts for the entourage. Al tried printing our DIY invites on our chosen paper but sadly, it didn't work.. :( We just decided to give our invites from Printed Matter to the other guests. Makiki-share na lang daw si mama sa expenses. yehey! :)

*August 20:
 - pahabol: we bought a different style of paper at National Bookstore, Quezon Ave. and we tried printing our DIY invite and it worked in a way. :) we just decided to use the DIY invite for the courtesy invites then yung sa Printed Matter for the rest of the guests. whoopee! solved na problema namin. :)

Whew, haba na ng kuwento ko. :) hehehe..
Bow.

food tasting with eloquente

We finally had our food tasting with eloquente last August 9. :) Masarap yung food! Heto yung mga sinerve sa amin na part ng aming menu for the reception:
1. Grilled Blue Marlin Steak (sarap! ito favorite ko, hehe..)
2. Beef Sirloin with Mushroom Sauce
3. Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole
4. Pork Spareribs with Hickory Sauce
5. Chicken Garlic Salpicao

At shempre, bottomless iced tea. sarap! busog kami ni Al kasi dito na kami naglunch. haha! Mabait talaga si Ms. Bheng, inasikaso nya kaming mabuti kahit na may dumating pang isang client na kailangan din nyang i-entertain.

After our food tasting, we went to OLCP to submit our edited baptismal records. May wedding nga that time and reception nila sa Recoletos din. Of course, I took pictures of the area with my Holga 135BC. yebah! We asked Sir Rod also kung may mahihiram kaming red stuncheon for the reception sa museum nila. Buti na lang meron! (kahit na medyo oldie na ang dating kasi siguro maalikabok at kahoy ang kinakabitan instead of steel, hehehe..). Oks na rin yung nakita namin, just for the effect lang naman of a movie premier night.

sm north 3-day sale

Very timely ang sale ng SM North for our wedding. Al and I went there last Saturday (with Mama) and Sunday. We stayed there from 4PM to 10PM. Grabe kapagod! Ang daming tao! But I was able to buy a lot of the things I need. Here's a list:
1. Bridal Shoes (from Milani) - sobrang bargain! Mama helped me choose the design.
2. Candle (with container) for the offertory - simple lang napili namin, tealight lang. may scent pa nga yung candle. hahaha!
3. Hanky for me and Al - Mama bought us hankies to be used for the wedding. ganda! From Pierre Cardin.
4. Gifts for the female sponsors, parents, female entourage and kids  - from various stores. sobrang bargain din! we chose gifts for each set of the entourage. Bale ang kulang na lang namin, yung for the male sponsors and adult male members of the entourage pero wine na ang bibilhin namin dito so ok na rin kami. :)
5. Bible - got it from St. Paul's Publication. It's white. :) sayang nga merong precious moments bible, pero napakamahal! :)

I also bought a dress na gagamitin ko sana during the preps but Mama remembered sewing a duster using the tela bought by my late aunt at ang ganda ng color! bagay din sa aking frame, I just have to place a dress clip sa likod (or lagyan ng safety pin yun or something) para magkakorte yung damit. I just returned the dress nung Sunday, hehe.. and used the voucher to buy gifts for the kid entourage.

Masaya na nakakapagod. Sa sobrang sipag nga naming mamili, ayun, nagkalagnat ako kahapon.. :( Sobrang sakit ng buong katawan ko nung Sunday night. Haha! Kakatawa nga eh, nagkasakit dahil sa sale. :)

Discovery Weekend on 2nd Anniversary

 

Al and I joined the Discovery Weekend (DW) last July 18-20, 2008 at OMI Retreat House in Quezon City. This is a retreat/weekend for engaged couples or for couples who are seriously considering marriage. Some parishes recognize this as the pre-cana seminar na rin. I had so much fun and we both learned a lot!  The program is designed specifically for couples since interaction with other couples is limited to meal times only and on certain activities. The DW even had the reputation before of being the cause of break-ups because the program may lead to three possible ends: a) the couple pushing through with the wedding, b) the couple postponing the wedding, or c) the couple parting ways. DW was created to minimize or at least prevent failed marriages, since the couple will have the opportunity to discuss issues/concerns on their relationship even before getting married.

Our chaplains were Rey and Marivic Magno (see picture). Separate ang rooms ng ladies sa guys. My roommate was Grace and her partner, Don, was Al's roommate. Sayang nga they had to leave early kasi Grace's father had difficulty breathing na nung Saturday morning. Her father had been battling with cancer for seven years and this was the only time na nahirapan syang huminga. So Al and I were alone in our rooms nung Saturday evening. I heard that Grace's father passed away Sunday afternoon, buti na lang nakahabol si Grace to be with her dad in Pampanga.

Ang sarap din ng pagkain! Sobrang busog kami palagi ni Al.. Bundat na naman ako. :) We also celebrated our second anniversary last July 20 and this was a very different kind of celebration because we celebrated it with the Lord. After the retreat, we just watched "The Dark Knight" at SM Fairview and had dinner at Shakey's. We also visited our Ninang Zita, whose house was near OMI, before we went to SM.

Ang sarap ng pakiramdam talaga after the DW. The experience affirmed our love for each other and our decision to push through with the wedding. 

THE Canonical Interview

 

Ano nga ba ito?:)
This is the interview that soon-to-wed couples undergo before they get married. We had it last July 12. The parish priest (or any priest assigned to be the interviewer) will ask the groom and the bride (individually) a few questions from a book. Yes, a book. Hardbound and big like the one read by Gandalf in Moria. (haha! What a comparison!) It has pages labeled "Bridegroom" and "Bride". Then the questions are recorded na like a form. Some of the questions were:
- Do you remember your first communion? When? Where?
- What is the middle name of your mom? your dad?
- How did you decide to get married? Was it of your own free will?
- Do you know of any physical defect of your partner? Remember that impotence is a ground for annulment.
- Have you talked about family planning or when to have kids? You know the stand of the Church that contraceptives defeat the very purpose of marriage. We have natural family planning and this is what the Church promotes.
- Hindi naman kayo magkamag-anak ano? (The middle name of Al's dad is Martinez. Well, we're not related. hehe..)
etc... etc.. etc...

Then we sign at the bottom of the page. Ang tanging bilin lang sa akin ni Father Vernbob, to raise our kids in the teachings of the Church and to be good examples/parents to them, that we put God in the center of our family.

**I asked Father Vernbob, why they record in such a big book the questions and answers of couples in the canonical interview. Well, they use this as reference in annulment cases, aside from being a record book of wedded couples. If a wife for example declares that she was forced to marry her husband, the parish will just look at the big book and check her response during the canonical interview. If it's indicated there that it was of her own free will that she married her husband, then her declaration in court may be questioned. (ahhh.. ganun pala yun.. )
**pero naisip ko ngayon lang, 'di ba hindi ina-acknowledge ng Church ang annulment?
----shucks, I miss law school..

anyhow, it was a good experience for both of us. I even asked Ms. Earlie, person-in-charge, if Father Vernbob will still interview us both at the same time (some parishes do) but she said that maybe Father was already satisfied with our answers and there is no need to interview us both. Nice! :)

After the interview, we met with Kat, my good friend and maid of honor, at Ateneo then we went to Mini-Stop in UP Village so she can have her measurements taken by Ms. Adora, my designer. We had lunch at Rodic's (sarap pa rin talaga ng tapsilog pero grabe ang daming tao because it was lunchtime and there's class). We then went to Printed Matter in Aurora Blvd. to get our mock-up invite. Ang ganda! But there were some minor errors that was edited by our artist, Ms. Candy, right then and there. Good thing that Kat was also there 'coz she's familiar with graphic design, layouting, photoshop and all that stuff. :)

After which, we went to Gateway for our gift selection in Rustan's. Al and I settled for the generic stuff to give our guests more leeway in selecting their gifts. Masaya naman na kami sa kahit ano. :) We had dinner first at the foodcourt then we watched "Hancock". Ayos! I liked the concept of the movie and it's humor. Ganda ni Charlize Theron! :)

It was a tiring day but very fulfilling. I enjoyed it very much! :)

sweet!

I received my lomo goodies yesterday! yipee! so despite getting wet because of the heavy rains that morning (as in super basa ang aking uniform at lumusong ako sa baha just to get to the office), I was happy. it was like a race, sunod-sunod silang dumating. First was my Holga 135 series Fisheye Lens from Aya (delivered by JRS Express). Then sabay na, my Holga 135BC with free shutter cable release from Honey and my films from Lem (3 Lucky Color ASA 200, 1 Fuji Pro Plus II ASA 100, and 1 Fuji Superia Xtra ASA 400), which were delivered by Xend. I even thought that the delivery will be delayed because of the heavy rains. All my suppliers came from the Lomomanila Group. Super reliable sila! Here's the funny part, Al was even more excited than I am that he loaded my camera with film right then and there. Nauna pa sa may-ari, hahahaha! It was great, I can't explain the feeling. It really is a toy camera because it's made of plastic. I just hope my pictures will look fine (at sana may picture nga na nakunan! hahaha!) I'm about to shoot my 14th shot now..


It's like me being a child again.. that feeling of having my first dream dollhouse or teddy bear.. it's great. Then of course, I had to name my new Holga camera... Sweet. 'Coz I received it on the 16th of July, sweet sixteen! (haha! Labo ba?). Gusto ko pa nga Sweetalog eh pero pag jologs mode na lang ako.

going loco over lomo

Okay, I know I should be busy with wedding preps considering that our special day is about two months away but I can't help but be excited on a newfound "hobby"! I read about lomography in a Coffee Bean magazine and I have been hooked since. :)

I am leaning towards getting a Holga 135BC mainly because it uses a 35mm film which is widely available in photo shops and I love vignettes! I am also interested in getting fisheye shots so I might get a lens for that (or a fisheye cam?). :) I'm sure this will be a bit challenging since I'm used to taking pictures using the digital cameras that we have now. We had a film camera before, the automatic type, but it has batteries so no worries in adjusting the film and you can't do multiple exposures. My mom had a Minolta cam before but I was still a baby then so no chance of operating it, haha!. :) yey! I'm so excited!

licensed to marry

We got our marriage license last June 25, 2008. :) Finally, we're through with the marriage documents. What we only need to do at this time is to file affidavits regarding our different names on the birth certificate and baptismal/confirmation certificate. It turns out that both my baptismal and cofirmation certificates had Maria shortened to Ma. Al's case on the other hand is that he was baptized "Anthony Lloyd" but his name on the birth certificate is Al. Weird no? hehehe... :)

I had a very stressful week last week because of our company's anniversary celebration. Our choir had a dinner concert last June 26 so most of our preparations happened a month before. We had rehearsals even if Typhoon Frank was devastating the country at that time (hehehe..). Because of this, Al and I went to the spa last Saturday to relax.. hay, sarap magpamasahe!

We will be having our canonical interview next week, July 12. After that, ok na kami, continue with preps na uli! Grabe lapit na!

ang singsing.. bow

I had a surprise visit yesterday. My Mama's alahero, Tony Berboso, visited Al and me in the office to show us our wedding rings. It's like a "draft" kasi hindi pa makinis and pulido (dunno how it's called 'pag jewelry, hehe..). It was nice and I was happy with the product. We opted for a two-toned wedding band (gold and white gold), no stones or frills, and it was beautiful. :) Talagang ikakasal na kami.. :) The ring was also a bit thick and wide that it "hugged" my finger, ang galing! Parang hindi na sya maaalis sa daliri ko, hehehe.. At maganda ang pagkakagawa, sulit na sulit. :)

Hay.. lapit na.. :)

SMX and Mall of Asia: kumpleto na! maliban sa..

 

We went to SMX Convention Center last May 17 to check out Celebrations!, the biggest bridal fair I have attended so far. I went with Al and his 3 sisters, faye, tintin and kaz. Masaya naman ako na na-enjoy nila ang event at their age (faye is 15, tintin is 12 and kaz is 7). We had free tasting sa chocolate fountain, free bookmark pictures from konsepto (na sobrang nakakaaliw kasi di kami magkasya sa booth, hahaha!), and we got to watch the fashion show by designer Linoi. Nakakatuwa! And of course, we visited the booth of our photo/video supplier, Parkershot. Naka-display pa nga sa booth nila yung pre-nup pix namin ni al sa eastwood city, hehehehe.. of course proud kami. I'll just post our pictures later. :) 

Na-book na rin namin ang aming invitations supplier, Printed Matter. We saw a really good invite design that fits our movie premier night theme. Ang cute at ang galing! Good thing Tintin browsed that folder. :) At last, wala na kaming problema sa suppliers. :) I have also confirmed with Ms. Adora Revilloza that she will be doing my gown and the entourage's. Pati na rin yung gown ng mommies. Sa June 9 ang schedule ng 1st fitting namin at excited na talaga ako... come to think of it, 4months na lang before the big day! grabe.. ang bilis ng panahon. Back to wedding preps na kami uli ni Al after about 2 weeks rest. :)

So, we've booked all our suppliers except for Al's barong and gifts for the parents, sponsors, and entourage. although pwede namang mahuli yun kasi madali namang maghanap. We've been looking for options everytime we go to the mall but since matagal pa nga, we just took note of our choices. Balikan na lang namin pag sale. hehehehehehe... :)

It was very rainy that day because of Typhoon Cosme. Sayang nga, the World Pyrolympics was postponed. We haven't watched kasi ever since they launched it dito sa Pinas. We ate dinner at Claire dela Fuente's restaurant at Esplanade (yung nagpapaluto ng fresh seafood) at ang sarap! Enjoy kami. Sobrang lakas ng alon that time sa Manila Bay. Napakalakas din ng hangin! Signal No. 1 ang Manila that time. We also visited the SM Science Discovery Center after taking a tour of the bridal fair. Ok naman sya, the DigiStar Planetarium was good but I didn't enjoy the science center that much as compared to other science museums I've been to when I was younger. Very techie lang ang dating nya pero parang medyo kulang.. hmm.. I tried their time capsule where you get to send emails to people on certain dates at gumana naman sya coz Al and I both received our messages. :) It was a fun and tiring day pero ang sarap ng feeling ko 'coz I got to bond with al's sisters and I'm happy they enjoyed our adventure. :)

rest from wedding preps at pre-nup

It's been a while since my last post.. :) became busy with office work and since we have booked most of our suppliers, rest na muna.. hehe...

but last May 1, we had our pre-nuptial pictorial with ParkerShot Digital Photography (see albums to view a sample of our pix). Faye and Tintin, Al's sisters, accompanied us. Mga PA (aka alalay) daw namin sila. And they did a good job! haha! My make-up was done by Vicky Sta. Ines, the make-up artist of our chorale group in the office, and she made me beautiful that day (straight hair! hehe..) JR Sebastian was our main photographer and with him was PJ Salazar as 2nd photographer. It was a hot afternoon and our first location was ateneo de manila, college campus. Most of our shots were focused on the new MVP Center (formerly Colayco Hall). We liked the stairs kasi, hehe.. then we went to the Interactive 12 Senses Exhibit beside Dela Costa Hall then our last location was Bellarmine Field. It was fun! At first I thought that I wouldn't look good on camera if I didn't smile but lo and behold, ang lupit at ang ganda ng mga pictures! (hahaha! yabang!)

We started at 1pm and ended at around 330pm. Travel na kami to Eastwood City, our 2nd location. Mas strict kasi dito dahil may oras ang photo shoot. You have to be at a certain place at a specific time. We were given only 2 hours to shoot and we're lucky there was no traffic from katipunan to libis coz I scheduled the shoot from 4-6pm. We started at Fuente Circle (where the fountain is, near Heaven N Eggs, Pancake House, etc.) then we went to the Stage Area/City Walk 1. We changed outfits also, semi-formal muna since our theme is movie premier night. Good thing Al and I went to Greenhills the Saturday before (April 26), so we got to buy new clothes, hahaha! bawi naman dahil maganda ang mga pictures. The dress was actually my college graduation dress. buti naman kasya pa rin, hehe... :) We stayed there from 4-5pm then we transferred to City Walk 2 (Shanghai Bistro Area) from 5-6pm. Change outfit din uli para naman masulit ang mga binili namin sa Greenhills. By this time medyo ngawit na ang labi ko sa pagngiti pero enjoy lang... :) JR was very kind and kwela kaya nag-enjoy kaming lahat. Deadma na sa mga taong nanonood. Napapagkamalan pa nga yata kaming artista, haha, coz one time na nagpapicture kami sa may "walk of fame", may bata raw na kumuha ng pix namin sa celfone camera, hehehe... minsanan lang naman ito. :)

The Lord was also kind to us that day because it drizzled a few minutes after the end of our photo shoot. :) our day was capped with a sumptuous meal at Il Pirata and it was indeed a one-of-a-kind event. :)

Pre-Cana Seminar at OLCP

Al and I had our Pre-Cana yesterday at the church. Mr. and Mrs. Roy/Rose Alcid conducted the seminar. It was enlightening and fun! :) we were 6 couples and the funny thing was, we were the only couple who will be getting married in September while the rest of them are April and June. haha! Ang aga naming nagseminar! But it will be an advantage for us because come June, we will be applying for a marriage license and there will be no need to attend a family planning seminar since we've been to one. Mas mabilis na ang pagproseso ng documents. :) Ms. Shirley Yang, the church wedding coordinator, was also there to brief us on the rules for the church ceremony. masarap din ang snacks (goldilocks cakes!), hehe.. :)
after the seminar, we went to the office first because al had to get something and then we went to UP for an isaw/tenga fest and squid ball/chicken ball treat! sarap talaga ng isaw sa UP! another enjoyable bonding experience for us. :)

yumi castrillo's cupcakes

 

Though we already have a cake supplier, we still met with Ms. Yumi Castrillo last April 17 at Valle Verde Country Club. I'm still thinking of gifts for my entourage and if we choose to give them cupcakes, at least I already have an option. :) Yumi was very pretty and friendly also. :) I discovered that she was also Atenean from college to law school. :) (yeah, Go Ateneo!) She gave us 6 cupcakes to taste: vanilla with white chocolate buttercream, chocolate with dark chocolate buttercream, shake your bonbon (chocolate with nutella/praline buttercream), carrot with white chocolate buttercream, sleepless in manila (coffee with java chip buttercream) and blueberry with white chocolate buttercream. they all tasted good, sarap talaga! my favorites are the blueberry and vanilla cupcakes. we also discussed our cupcake tower design and she was very open to ideas. she also gave us a customized package if we opt not to have so much flowers on our tower since our wedding theme is movie premier night. she also treated us to a snack but I wasn't able to have a bite of the club sandwich because her cupcakes tasted better of course, haha!  

Baking is just her hobby and she works hands-on on her cupcake towers that's why she can only handle one event per day. She even does the frosting on the spot! (galing no?) Al enjoyed the cupcakes, also. busog na naman kami :)

Ateneo and Bridal Fair at SM Megamall--Flowers of May

 

(Long overdue na rin itong blog na ito..)
Last April 12, Al and I met with my college friend and maid of honor, Kat, in Ateneo. :) We went there to request for a permit to shoot for our pre-nuptial pictorial while Kat had to request some documents. It's been a long time since I went to Ateneo and visited my former office (Office of Administrative Services). My former boss, Ms. Lourdes Sumpaico, already retired from office last March 31, 2008 and Ms. Joy Salita was the Acting Director. Nagpapicture na rin ako with Ms. Joy and Ms. Kat of OAS para souvenir na rin.I faxed an advance copy of my request to them earlier that day and I was lucky that Ms. Joy approved my request on the spot (with some notations, e.g. open areas only and no pictures of the school seals/building names). Yey! It's final, we'll be having our pre-nup in Ateneo!!

We then toured the school to look for good spots to have the pre-nup pictorial. I loved the Interactive 12 Senses exhibit beside Dela Costa Hall. It was very creative and cool! :D we had lunch at Manang's and too bad there wasn't any inihaw na liempo left. We settled for the lechon kawali and dinuguan with itlog na maalat and kamatis! yum!! sarap talaga! going back to ateneo was such an enjoyable experience.

After that short school visit, we went first to our office because Al had to get his free registration note from VRC Creative Events. I toured Kat in our office (it's her first time there). We then went to SM Megamall for the Bridal Fair. Flowers of May was there and we tried to ask if they will give us discounts (we have visited them previously in their shop in UP Village). Ms. Evelyn was really nice but she didn't give us a discount since we are getting the cheapest package. What she did was to include buttounnieres for the 2 fathers and principal sponsors! yey! it was similar to getting a 5% discount! We booked them right there. Finally, we have a florist: Flowers of May!! My bouquet will be deep red roses but we also liked yellow calla lilies and it will certainly match our red and gold motif. But if I opt for the calla lilies, I would have to add an additional P2,000 so we'd have to wait and see.. hehe.. :)

I enjoyed the fair but it was very tiring. The Megatrade Hall wasn't that big but maybe because you have to do a lot of walking and talking, hehe.. That was my first bridal fair with al and kat and it was fun! Eloquente was also there. I even saw the photo album of the wedding where TransChorale was hired to sing in the nuptial mass. Too bad, our photo wasn't there (harr!)
We ate dinner at Yellow Cab and tried their new pizza, Barbecue Chicken. sarap! We really accomplished a lot that day and we are 90% through with our preps.. yahoo!!! :)

continuous search for a designer and finally a cake supplier!

(this blog is long overdue, hehe..)
 Last April 10, we met with Ms. Adora Revilloza at Mini-Stop in Maginhawa St., UP Village, to discuss our designs. She's very friendly and accommodating and even treated us for a snack. It was my first time to eat at Mini-Stop, hehe.. :) Ms. Adora only makes dresses/gowns for women so we would have to scout for a barong tailor for Al if ever we will get her as our designer. She was able to improve our chosen designs for the bridal entourage and the bridal gown and her quote was equal to that of our designer from Sariaya. Only downside is, the total price does not include al's barong/pants yet as opposed to our other designer's quote. But I'm sure her work is of good quality (as seen in her multiply site and based from reviews of fellow W@wies).

On April 13, we visited Ms. Gervy Cruz for our cake tasting. Another client was also there when we arrived and it seems there was a mix-up in the schedule (as Ms. Gervy only entertains one client at a time). But it was okay for us, at least we have company. :) She offered her cakes and filling (where you can mix and match) for the chocolate covered cakes and for the fondant. She also gave us samples of the sugar used for the fondant (too sweet!) and the white chocolate used for the cakes (yum!). For the chocolate covered cakes, there's vanilla, chocolate, cappuccino, lemon and choco marble while the fillings are chocolate, mocha kahlua, and vanilla. For the fondant, there's apple walnut, rhum, and carrot.

Al and I loved the cakes that we booked Ms. Gervy Cruz on the same day! We'll be getting the 3pc satellite cake and Ms. Gervy was also excited to design the cake as this will be her first time to adopt a "movie premier night" theme. We chose the choco marble and mocha kahlua filling for the 1st cake, cappuccino and mocha kahlua filling for the second cake, and vanilla and vanilla filling for the 3rd cake. the 1st two choices are al's choices while the last one, the vanilla was my choice. Al is not that fond of chocolate but it tasted good. :) Ms. Gervy was also very accommodating and was very open to suggestions. We had a nice time with her. :)

gown and cake

 

For the past week, we've been scouting for our gown designer and cake supplier. So far, we've visited Boying Eustaquio and Joy San Gabriel. Boying was very kind and he gave us a good package (almost similar to our designer from Sariaya but of course, Boying's shop is a lot nearer). I'm already considering a simple yet elegant bridal gown to cut down on costs. I may also request for minimal beadwork on my female entourage's gowns so that it will be cheaper. We'll just choose a good fabric and play with the designs of the dresses.

On cake tasting, we visited Joy San Gabriel's residence at Corinthian Gardens (sosy!). She gave us four mini-cakes: Amaretto Flourless, Kilaueia, Coffee Caramel, and Blueberry Cheesecake. They all tasted good, but I loved the coffee caramel cake most. :) Blueberry cheesecake has been an old favorite while the amaretto flourless and kilaueia are too sweet for me (though they're still chocolate cakes so it's still yummy!). Ms. Joy was very accommodating and patient in answering our queries. What I liked about her is that she doesn't require a minimum order unlike most bakers. They also have a really nice house (a big house, actually). :) Her mini-cakes are also very affordable/reasonably-priced. :)

After our cake tasting, Al and I met with my dear college friend, Bel, at the Podium. She's assistant admin manager there (hanep!). We ate dinner at Pinoydon (yummy filipino food with a japanese twist), with her boyfriend, Manny, a college blockmate. Saya, reunion! :) I'm also glad that there's someone who takes care of Bel now. (thanks, Manny!) Al and I also went to Starbucks for the long-missed coffee treat. hay.. sarap talaga ng white chocolate mocha! :)

This week we will still meet with other designers/cake suppliers. We will also drop by the bridal fair in Megamall this weekend and also the one in May in SMX Convention Center. Too bad we weren't able to go to PICC last March, we could've gotten affordable packages from our suppliers. Anyway, at least we are 70% done with our preps. :)

finally, we have a caterer!

when we started our wedding preps, our first choice of venue was blue gardens in commonwealth, qc. there we had food tasting with delica catering (1st visit) and lina vitan (2nd visit) catering. eloquente catering was just setting-up the 1st time we went there so we weren't able to taste the food. we liked delica, food was good.  lina vitan wasn't really okay. however, my mom suggested to scout for other churches/venues when she had the chance to see the place. so, we looked for other options (St. Raphael Parish in Don Antonio and Our Lady of Remedies Church in Don Enrique) then we found Our Lady of Consolation Parish. until the time that we have booked 3 other suppliers (see my 1st entry), we still haven't found our caterer. We were eyeing henry's catering because my mom knows the owner and she's the wedding godmother of one of the staff, so we were thinking we're going to get a good package. however, the price they quoted for our chosen menu was a bit high so we had to look for another caterer. sir loi recommended queensland and budget-wise, the menu was really affordable! my mom, though, had reservations on booking this caterer because she said that though it offers low rates, the quality may not be ok. so we had an ocular of queensland's set-up when they had a wedding reception at bulwagang recoletos. the judgment? Well, we found it "different". I told al that we have to look for another caterer. We then visited the office of eloquente catering in yale st., cubao, qc. And at last, we found our caterer! :) sayang nga, they were part of the bridal fair in gazebo royale last march 9 (where we met jr and jhoana sebastian of parker shot photography), we could've gotten a good package. but inspite of that, we still think that they gave us a good offer. :) thanks to ms. bheng, our account executive (AE). exciting na talaga ito!

wedding preps 101

I just realized that wedding preparations can really be a hassle especially if you're working on a tight budget. Even if you try not to spend so much, with the price of most commodities increasing almost every week, you will still be needing a "bigger" budget. And of course, there are some things that you would want to get/use for your wedding but have to forego because it's expensive! Harr... Oh well.. It's still an enjoyable experience.

At this time, we already have a church and reception venue. The wedding will be held at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Mira-Nila Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. I chanced upon this church when I was viewing a sample wedding album. The altar is blue and it has a big statue of the Virgin Mary at the center (even bigger than the crucifix). Al and I loved the church when we first saw it during our ocular, including my mom. Then, we checked out their reception venue, Bulwagang Recoletos. Since this parish is owned by the Augustinians, the reception venue is part of the seminary. It's also nice and has an "historic" feel. Anyway, I attached pictures of the place and the church.

We have only booked a few of our suppliers and we're still scouting for others. Here they are:

On-the-Day Coordination and Host: Loi Villarama and His Angels

Photo-Video: Parker Shot Photography (JR Sebastian)

Souvenirs: Studio for Fun by Konsepto (On-site Souvenirs)

We have yet to book our caterer and wedding cake/cupcake supplier. Our wedding theme will be a "movie premier night", much like a Hollywood theme, only that this is a movie happening in real-time, hehehe...

Bohol-Cebu Adventure

I completely forgot about writing an entry on our adventure in Bohol-Cebu last March 1-3, 2008. It was really fun but very tiring! I didn't realize that the itinerary I created for our group was very "loaded", and I have neglected the fact that most of my companions are "senior citizens" (not all but almost, hehehe..). Anyhow, I still enjoyed this much awaited vacation! :) Upon arrival at the airport on March 1 (7:00 am aboard Cebu Pacific) we went first to Bohol Tropics Resort to have breakfast with Tita Choy (the mom of my brother's girlfriend). Ganda ng resort! Sarap din food.. after that hearty breakfast, we proceeded with our Bohol Countryside Tour. Our driver was Kuya Noli and his boss is Kuya Rod Balaba. Super bait at napaka-accommodating! Here's our itinerary:

1. Blood Compact Site
2. Baclayon Church
3. Prony-Biggest Python in Captivity
4. Loay Backyard Industry
5. Clarin Ancestral House
6. Tarsier Sanctuary
7. Loboc River Cruise (with buffet lunch)
8. Loboc Church
9. Bilar Man-Made Forest
10. Chocolate Hills
11. Hanging Bridge
12. Dauis Church
13. Hinagdanan Cave
14. Bohol Bee Farm (dinner)--one of the best i've tried! organic salad was good and tasted healthy, hehe.. loved the camote bread with the honey spread, pesto spread and mango spread. yum! :)

On our first night, we stayed at Dumaluan Beach Resort 2 in Panglao Island to prepare for our dolphin watching adventure the next day. Grabe, ang daming reklamo ng nanay ko sa resort! hmm.. the place was ok for me, though. basta may matutulugan lang, ayos na ako ro'n. Papa and I also had a dip in the pool, kasama rin sina Jolo and Ella. Late na rin kami nakatulog..

On March 2, we woke up early for our dolphin watching escapade. Late na nga kami kasi dapat 5:30 am umaalis na kami sa island, but we had breakfast at 6am then 6:30am na kami nakaalis. I was really worried because the boatmen told us that most of the dolphins only appear before the sun rises. The trip took some minutes before we reached the area where most of the watchers are. Ang daming dolphins!!! ang saya talaga! I've seen dolphins during shows but never in their natural habitat (open sea). I've seen those in Ocean Adventure in Subic but they're still "technically" in captivity. After that dolphin watching treat, we went to Balicasag Island to buy souvenirs (from our boatman's own family store, hehe..) and to snorkel. Ganda ng fish sanctuary! daming fish! Limited lang time namin coz we had to go back to the resort by lunchtime to prepare for my brother's departure. He and his girlfriend have to go back to Manila coz they still have class the next day. They're flight is at 2pm, Cebu Pacific and we arrived at the airport at 1pm. Photo-finish na nga kasi sila na last na nag-check in, harr!!

We ate lunch at Jollibee at Island City Mall. Yung iba sa Chowking. Then we proceeded first to Villa del Sol to check-in then to Bohol Bee Farm to buy some spread and honey puree. Nag-tour din kami sa farm. They grow their own veggies and herbs, galing! organic talaga sila. After that, we dropped the "oldies" at Dauis Church because they want to hear mass while papa and I went to Aproniana Souvenir Shop to buy some souvenirs (peanut kisses, kalamay sa bao, magnets, shirts) then to Mag-Aso Falls. grabe, malayo pala yung falls! We arrived there medyo padilim na. It was so scary kasi rumaragasa yung tubig. Sabi ni Kuya Noli, umulan daw siguro kaya medyo mataas ang tubig. It may be really majestic kung calm lang yung waters. Pero grabe yung kaba ko! we had to go down some 100+ steps to reach the area of the falls. Nung pag-akyat nga, hindi na ako humihinga. hehehe.. On our way back to Tagbilaran City, we requested Kuya Noli to drop us at St. Joseph's Cathedral to hear mass. He just fetched the "oldies" in Dauis Church. Lucky for us we chanced upon the English mass (6:30pm). Then we had dinner at Villa del Sol: inihaw na isda at liempo, adobong pusit, chinese soup, ginataang gulay. ang sarap! milagrosa kasi yung rice at fresh talaga ang mga pagkain.. busog! We slept late din. papa helped me in computing the expenses (I was the designated treasurer kasi). Nagising pa kami nung madaling-araw kasi ang daming ipis! nag-spray ata sa house.. harrrr!

On March 3, we left early for Cebu via Weesam Express FastCraft, 7am trip. As usual, muntik na naman kaming ma-late, hehehe.. Pinagbaon na nga lang kami ni Tita Sol, sarap!--tortang talong, tapa at longganisa. Kaso late na rin umalis yung ferry because of a school field trip. We left Tagbilaran City at 7:30am. Pero mabilis yung ferry, we arrived Cebu at 9am. Sir Lorenzo Javier of TransCo Engineering-Central Visayas Projects fetched us. Ang bait-bait! He toured us around the city-- Fort San Pedro, Magellan's Cross, Sto. Niño Basilica, La Fortuna Bakery, Taoist Temple, SM City Cebu (where we had lunch at Goldilocks), Magic Melt Goodies, TransCo Banilad Office and Engineering Office, Shamrock, R&M Goodies, and Tabo-an Market (danggit and daing na pusit). Ang babaho namin after the Tabo-an escapade! hahaha! We went straight to the airport na kasi mahuhuli na naman kami. Our flight to Manila via PAL is at 8pm, we arrived at the airport at 630pm. Thank God! We just ate dinner at one of the stalls, La Paz Batchoy kinain namin. Ang sarap! yum talaga! Pagod kami lahat but we were happy.

It was really one great adventure! Sana makarating pa ako sa ibang mga tourist spots sa Pinas. :p Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity! :)

engagement

papa and i got engaged on february 1, 2008.. he proposed at bubba gump shrimp resto in trinoma. nakipagkuntsaba sa staff ng bubba gump.. the ring was placed on top of the vanilla ice cream of the chocolate chip a la mode dessert. cute kasi yung ring, di ko ka'gad napansin. haha! papa kept on asking kung masarap ba yung dessert, sagot naman ako ng oo, masarap. i even noticed that the lights were dimming kasi kami na lang naiwan na customers.. kala ko nga pinapaalis na kami. yun pala it was part of the plan. the staff were all looking at me, and the whole time i was thinking that they want us to go home already. yun pala, hindi ko kasi nakikita yung singsing kaya inaabangan nila ang reaction ko. hehehehe... it was a memorable experience. medyo malaki pa nga yung size nung tiffany ring, pina-resize pa namin. liit kasi ng daliri ko, size 4 ako eh size 5 ang smallest na readily available sa market. hehe.. :)

this is the start of something new.. (chareng!)

chocolate

I didn't get the chance to buy a gift for my boyfriend last Valentine's day so I thought I'll make it up to him on our monthsary. I already had something in mind, having watched "Kay Susan Tayo" at GMA7 last February 10, 2008. They featured "ChocoPix Personalized Confectionery" where they print pictures on chocolates! It's called chocolography and I thought it's a really nice and unique gift. So I checked out their website (www.chocopixonline.com), ordered one heart party favor through email, and attached three pictures they can choose from. They immediately replied and sent me back the pictures (with the captions and already in heart shape as how they would look on the chocolate). I really wanted the formal picture but it's blurry and grainy so I chose the beach picture instead. Lead time is 2 days after confirmation of order but for bulk orders, about 5 days to one week.

So yesterday, I asked papa to accompany me to Malakas St. (near V. Luna) to "pick-up something for my mom". Little did he know that we were going to pick-up my monthsary gift for him. hehe.. ChocoPix was very easy to find and the shop looked neat and clean. Chino and Andrew were very friendly and accommodating, too. Papa was very happy when he got his gift. :-) He also checked out the shop and we even got a free choco lollipop! The chocolate tastes good and it's imported from the US. It's shelf life is about a year and a half. It must be kept at room temperature (not in the refrigerator because it will moist and the picture will become muddled). It's also great for souvenirs. :-)

I'm happy papa liked his gift. Love you very much, mahal....

hello everybody! :)

New year, new look...
hehehe..
napabayaan ko ang blog na ito.. grabe, more than one year ko na syang hindi nabibisita.. :D
ang dami ng nangyari..
ang dami ko na ring napuntahan..
as of date, hindi na ako nakabalik sa law school :(
not sure yet if i will still go back..
might venture into a different course na lang..
but, i discovered a new career (hehehe..)
i'm part of the transchorale now! our corporation's premier singing ambassadors.. :)
mag-one year pa lang ako pero ang dami ko ng nasubukan at narating.. :D
sana nga maging mas magaling pa akong mang-aawit. (naks! aminadong magaling!)

at meron na rin akong minamahal ngayon.. asteeeggg..
siya ang aking papa na magugulat kayo kung saan ko nakilala.. hehehe..( just see attached picture :D )
i love him so much.. hope maging mas matibay ang samahan namin..