Shrek, Rattle and Roll

Our theme for this year's Halloween party is Shrek. Congrats to our team who won the 3rd place of our annual Halloween event =)

Our work area was turned to the 'Swamp' where Shrek lives.

Inside the workstations, you'll feel like you're inside the forest. You can even smell the dried leaves that were included in the props.

As you go along, you'll walk through the 'village' with a big fair where kids can enjoy some games and could win awesome treats: more candies and Shrek cupcakes =)

For the costumes, we opted to use masks so kids could easily recognize us (and to avoid the mess of face paints). Another good thing about wearing masks is you won't get tired of smiling during photo ops. However, the downside is you won't get to have a pic taken with your real face. =P 

This is me aka Princess Fiona (part ogre and part human) and my teammate Irving as Shrek.
For Shrek, we had to use a winter jacket and a pillow to make him bigger. Imagine how hot it was for him (sorry Irving). 

Then we were joined by the other cast: Ruru as Prince Charming, Jeremie as Puss in Boots, PD as Donkey & Iz as our princess guest.

Then it was time for the most important part of the party: TRICK OR TREAT!! (including photo ops with kids and kids at heart)

By the end of the tour, you'll reach the kingdom of Far Far Away.

Since I wasn't able to go around due to my 'mascot' duties, I just grabbed these pics from my teammates: Iells, Lloyd (our official photographer) and from Jenny (via FB). Overall, I have to say Shrek was a hard theme but we did our best to pull it off and most importantly, we had a lot of fun =)

MT Casa at Heima Brixton

After a super awesome lunch at Project Pie with some friends, we had an instant side trip to Heima Brixton.

I have always loved Heima eversince I have spotted their fun and lovely furniture from Real Living magazines, and from Kamiseta shops and Vanilla Bakery.

Good thing we still caught the MT Spaces Exhibit for the launch of MT Casa products that are now available at Heima. This was participated by Real Living Magazine, Everywhere we Shoot, Carina Santos and The Googly Gooeys.

Here's a closer look of the colorful pieces in the exhibit. Everyone did a great job with the decorating using MT Casa's famous washi tapes but my favorite one would be from Googly Gooeys. For me, it's more vibrant, it is filled with lots of interesting items and I loved it's 'homey' vibe.

At Heima, you can also find good books about art, interiors and decorating.

 Love artsy stuff? They have a wide collection of wall art, postcards, wrappers and colorful washi tapes from MT Casa.

You will also find quirky and vintage items that collectors would surely appreciate.

My dream home would definitely be filled with Heima items. Their classic style with the right pop of color would surely turn any dull area to WOW!

 Visit Heima Brixton at Unit 103, Three Brixton Bldg. #3 Brixton St. Brgy Kapitolyo Pasig City

They are open Mondays to Saturdays 10am to 7pm. You can also call them at 5017588 for inquiries.

Check out their website http://www.heimastore.com/ for their other branches.

29 Ways to Stay Creative

A big checklist/ reminder for me.

 From Creattica submitted by islam.abudaoud.

The Doodle Project

I know it's been a while. I have started conceptualizing this post months ago and finally completed it with the permission of my dearest friends. =) I just wanted to share how I've been lately enjoying my Facebook feed and how excited I am each time I check out the latest doodles from my friends. It always makes me wonder about the irony of my love for art and how it despises me.=P The sad thing is I can't draw, nor paint, nor write poetry. In short, I don't have a single talent for art and yet there's something about it that always keeps me intrigued. Since you don't have an access to my awesome feed, prepare to be astonished and get to know these amazing artists:

1.) Grace Bermejo Jao (now Mrs. Grace Frosen) was my elementary and highschool classmate who is now based in Finland. I've been liking all her doodles since she started posting them in FB. I'm a huge fan and I'm sure you will all love her work too! =)

 Here's what Grace said about her doodles:

"I used to doodle a lot when I was a kid. But when I was 10, my art teacher told me that I had no talent in it. I don't know if she was trying to be insulting really. But I believed her and I just stopped drawing since then. Several years later, while sitting in an MA class, the professor said "When we were kids, everyone knew how to draw. Why isn't it a normal hobby for adults? What happened along the way?". That inspired me to go back to drawing. I just decided then and there that I would go back to it.
As for inspiration, a lot of them I get from studying the works of other artists. I started out by copying other people's work until I was able to develop a style of my own.
I get my inspiration from nature...because I love drawing flowers and trees. A lot of it also comes from textile. I enjoy the repetitive rhythm of drawing patterns and lines. I also get inspiration from the female figure."

2. Patricia Grace Iriberri or simply Grace (as I call her) was my schoolmate way back in Saint Paul. I'm also guilty of stalking her artwork. This girl not only doodles but she can also sketch and write haiku. (Ikaw na!) We also share the same interest in books [David Levithan & John Green specifically]. Check out her awesome blog.

 

Here's what Grace said about her doodles:

"The digital ones are when im smitten with a movie or a book character. I'm in love with Tom Hiddleston basically because to me he is the embodiment of all the good things about English men.

And also because my friends' faces are easy to conjure from memory so the little details are easier to tweak and remember. The paper drawings are always from whatever kind of music I'm listening to then it kind of just bleeds into the drawing.The latest one however, was from listening to too much Bon Iver and making too many Haikus"

3.  Ginger de Guia was also my classmate way back in elementary until highschool. I've recently discovered her work when she posted it FB via her IG account doodles_worth. Eversince then, I'm hooked! =)

Ginger gets her inspiration from other peoples works& realizations. "I centralize my work around spiritual meanings so I'll be guided on what to do. My friend is better than me. She inspired me at first then I branched out."

Aren't they cool? I know there are other artists and doodlers out there whom I haven't discovered yet. I am hoping that there will be a Part 2 for this post. Thank you so much for the gifted artists who have shared their talents with me - Grace Jao-Frosen, Grace Iriberri and Ginger de Guia. You are inspiring a lot of people like me. Looking forward to see more of your work =)

The Power of Giving

 

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” - Albert Pike

This commercial ad is created by True

Be inspired. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

Love in the Next Aisle

 

Got teary-eyed and so 'kilig' when I saw this video. I don't think this is cheesy at all.

What an inspiring video to watch before I go to sleep. Share the love!! =)

   

Tattooed in my Mind

I posted this pic in FB a long long time ago captioned "inked". It was literally ink because it was from a free stamp from Jollibee bwahaha.

I also had a henna tattoo from my 2009 Boracay trip.

And that's it. No real ink on me. I'm not really a fan of tattoos but I don't disdain it either. In fact, I already have some possible designs in mind. I also admire a lot of jaw-dropping ones and even watched several episodes of Best Ink. Besides the fact that I'm scared of needles, I just don't have the guts to do it. I also know that I have a fickle mind and erasing it is not that simple. I'm scared of how painful and permanent it would be and I believe a lot of people have that fear too. With that, I'm sure you're going to love Tattly - a shop that designs temporary tattoos created by Tina Roth Eisenberg, the brilliant mind behind one of my favorite blogs Swissmiss.
 

Here are some of my favorites.

I would place Be Happy by Lila Symons on the outer side of my arm -- a reminder for others to smile.

A pop of color on my nape would be fun - Rainbow by Jessi Arrington

A reminder that it's time to PARTY! - Party Watch by Julia Rothman

 

Isn't this fun? It's not just for kids, but for the kids-at-heart too =)
You get to change it once you're tired of it and there's zero pain.

Click here if you want to see more.

Do you dig it or you're in for the real thing? Share your experience or your dream tatts with me =)

Discovgraphies creates no claim or credit for images featured on this post unless otherwise noted. 
All visual content is copyrighted to it's respectful owners and I have made every effort to link back to the original content whenever possible. If you own rights to any of the images, and do not wish them to appear here, please contact me and they will be promptly removed.

Do you carry a jotter?

I know it’s a petty and childish topic but I just wanted to know if I’m the only adult left in this world who still carries a jotter. Am I alone? Being in the digital world, I know most people have already thrown their notebooks and journals and switched to tablets and smartphones – but not me. Yes I’m still stuck with the classic pen and paper combo to write anything that comes to my mind. For some reason writing helps me to remember things more.
 

So what’s inside my jotter?

 

• Nice songs I hear from the radio. It's nice if it would make me dance and/or sing. (Since I wouldn’t immediately know the title and artist, I would write bits of the lyrics then Google it later)
• Interesting and Inspiring blogs that I come across. (As you all know a blog could lead to another blog and another blog and ...)
• A good quote or a joke. (There are just some quotes that hits you hard and there are quotes that make me say " THAT'S SO TRUE!". Funny quotes come in handy as ice breakers.
• Possible blog topics (Moments when the light bulb appears above my head "TING!")
• Shopping List and Wish Lists. (Things that I should buy including stuff that I want to buy but could not)
• Phone numbers and emails  (not of cute guys but of friends and business contacts)
• Some reminders (update blog, edit this, do that)
• Places I would like to visit one day. (dreams... dreams... dreams)
• Expenses (To avoid my usual question "Where did my money go?")
• Sale announcements. (I'm a thrifty queen)
• Tips (how to lose that belly fat, yoga positions, what to drink to improve digestion, remedies etc)
• Book Titles (I'm not a librarian. You know why.)
• What I remember about a previous dream (There are times when I still remember bits and pieces from my dream then after a few seconds my mind automatically goes Select All + Delete)
• Simple recipes (I don't cook but I would like to learn how to)

Here are some awesome jotters that would suit each personality:

For artists and nature-lovers

1. Journal pocket notebook from Maotu from Etsy

 

2. Owl pocket notebook from PaperTuli from Etsy

For the kikay, and fashionistas

3. Jordi Labanda notebooks

For the writers and those who love classics.

4. Moleskine

I think this is the most used jotter. Moleskine now has smaller versions which are more handy. A lot of people now use this as a jotter instead of a formal journal. Speaking of, I can't help but admire Mike Rohde's notes and Kouji Hayateno’s analog blog. Check them out! I was also pretty amazed by the idea of an analog blog.

As they say, change is always a good thing -- but not for my jotter. Call me old-fashioned but I'm keeping it. Besides, where's the fun in typing your random ramblings? Writing it down makes it more personal and makes it more you. The doodles and handwriting can't be captured by our gadgets.

If you're planning to get one, there are nice, adorable and affordable jotter notebooks at your favorite bookstore, at Landmark, and at Saizen. If you already have one, I hope you could share with us what's inside yours =) Get a jotter and capture your ideas now. It would be fun I promise.
Who knows? Your next idea could change the world!

Have a great week ahead! =)

A Touch from Above

June 02, 2013 – My Sunday rituals were put into a halt when we got a call from my uncle that Father Joey A. Faller, who is known for his gift of healing, will be back to visit my Lola. As some of you might know, my lola has been in the hospital for almost 5 months now. If you don’t know who Fr. Faller is, check out his life story here: http://www.joeyfaller.org/

I know a lot of people would have to line up for hours just to see Father Faller, so without any second thoughts, I dropped everything and went straight to the hospital where my lola was.

He started to pray over lola who was very sleepy due to the strong meds, then he also prayed over my aunt, my mom and my cousin.

After giving me his blessing, he asked if he could see my hand. According to him, sudden “glitters” would appear if the Virgin Mary was making her presence felt. He did the same thing to my mom, my aunt and my cousin. Unfortunately, there were no signs or “glitters” on mine which made me a bit sad. As I asked him how come there were no "glitters" (pic below) he answered “parating palang”.

He only stayed for a few minutes and went on his way. He left us feeling blessed and spiritually healed. My encounter with Fr. Faller also created a big question in my mind, of what could “parating palang” mean? It has been days since he said those words and until now I'm still thinking about it. I'm not sure if I'll see him again but hopefully I will. Could it be God's plan to leave me hanging so I could figure it out for myself? 

I’m ending this post with a short prayer because I believe only He alone can help me find the answer “Lord please clear my mind and enlighten me so that I may follow your path. Mama Mary, come into my heart so that I may see what it is that I should do.”

I know that one day it will be revealed.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

I just realized today is his birthday -- Happy Birthday Fr. Joey! Thank you for touching our hearts =)

Live Like We're Young

 

Once in a while, I reminisce about those days when I was still a kiddo. I miss those days when all I have to worry about is homework and get passing grades. When dull moments can be fixed by an ice cream cone or a toy. When life wasn't too serious and there were no complications. I was inspired by a blog post (sorry I forgot the link) about bringing that magic back. So I decided to do something spontaneous and fun to relive the glorious days of childhood.

It's true that growing old is not defined by your age but by the lack of enthusiasm within you. Life is indeed too short not to enjoy it. =P Happy weekend folks and lets all unleash that kid within us =)