LA & Lengski

Our online portfolio

2012-01-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

http://artwerkstudios.wordpress.com/

My grad pic

2011-12-01T04:41:00.001-08:00

Guess what, this is me. This is my grad pic. And would you believe, this had been inside my bebi's wallet since the day I gave it to him eight years ago.

I can still remember when he once said that, I'm the most beautiful girl in his life, will always be and he'll hold dearly near his heart, always and forever. Love you much bebi!

Happy Birthday Bebi kew!

2011-11-28T03:19:00.001-08:00

I love you so much! You complete us! Go three musketeers!

Lego loves the camera!

2011-11-24T18:44:00.001-08:00

Yeah, our little cupcake do this whenever he sees me holding the camera. He will try to steal it from me. Or pose. Or stare. And then make that big smile.

A model someday? Hmmm.. I think a photographer too, like me! Sweet!

You'll have all my support, baby. And all my gears!

I'm a winner!

2011-11-24T04:17:00.001-08:00

I was glad and humbled for being the first to post an article in our SP site (which is still under construction and will be fully operated soon). The article I wrote was re-posted in the blog (link here: http://chocoberryorange.blogspot.com/2011/11/second-life-at-streets.html)

We had a meeting last November 19 and we were really grateful with our wonderful host, Kuya Egay. The Pancit Malabon was superb, same with the cheesy pichi-pichi and putong puti. Mike brought some barbeque, while Sir Luis shared a sumptuous chocolate cake. I brought kapeng barako by the way, which they said was really soothing and a nice blend.

But what's more exciting, was the company. My WOW family was superb! I really had a wonderful time and I'm looking forward to our next get together.

Sir Luis handing me my token for being the first to submit the blog article.

Second life, at the streets

2011-11-16T03:37:00.001-08:00

People who don’t know what happened may wonder why I let go of a career many would wish they have. I was on its peak, meeting people I never imagined in my life would be my acquaintances. I even had a footage of myself aired on TV during our prestigious exclusive high profile events. Work was hard, but pretty satisfying. And I learned a lot about it, plus, I had worked with really great people.

So why leave? At first, I was really afraid to let go. Not so much financially (which was actually a big factor based on how life is today), but more on the fact that maybe, “they”, my colleagues, will go on their lives, and I will be left behind.

The career was really promising, but my health didn’t allow me. Yes. That was the real score why I left. My health. It will be too risky for me to come back to that life. A life I learned to love.

But as they say, life will go on, and everything is already planned. Yeah, my second life should go on and it was time to move forward and face my so called destiny.

So, I looked back, far beyond that wonderful career, and for some reason, it took me far way back until I saw my life before that promising career. And I saw myself when I was still an aspiring photographer. Yep, it was during my elementary days when I first had my film camera. I was the school paper’s photojournalist from elementary to high school. Even in college, photography was my thesis. And I got good grades.

I don’t know, but it might really be a coincidence that I stumbled to this group, WOSW (Wide Open Street Workshop) when I was starting to search for myself. Kuya Ray (Leyesa, a WOSW alumnus and my angel) casually mentioned it to me. “Ey, may street photography sa Sabado, baka gusto mo subukan. PM Sir Luis Liwanag, here’s his FB account.”

To be honest, I only got three thousand pesos that time. I was jobless remember? And all our savings was spent to hospitalization. So I was thinking, is it worth it? This money must better be well spent. Last money I have, and I got tons of loans to pay. Not to mention our cable TV that was past due notice.

Instinct and “desire” perhaps, I pm’d Sir Luis and said I’ll join the workshop. Without hesitation, I committed my three thousand.

Street photo day one, Baclaran. There were so much in mind that I was thinking. I was hoping for a very fruitful result for my last investment. And as I met them, one by one, seeing them in action, laughing with them, learning with them, meeting whom I considered as the “photo Gods” in an art hub, I can’t hardly wait for day two.

Though not a hundred percent recovered, I didn’t feel tired even if we walked the whole day,scanning Quiapo and Binondo area for SP’s” just waiting to be captured. I was uplifted and inspired to look for subjects. I somehow felt challenged by my colleagues, which in a positive way, made me excited and inspired even more. I really want to deliver something that will make them proud. They have given me reasons to give it my all and capture the best shot. Each individual had his own story to tell, and I wanted to be part of it.

There, I felt a sense of belonging. Something I had been missing for so long. Something that I have forgotten and was rediscovered. Something that I really want.

The workshop was not just about learning street photography. It is a discovery. And I discovered not just the streets, but myself and the world beyond it.

Now, I’m loving photography even more. And Street Photography genre had given me a whole new perspective in life.

Street now is my life. My second life actually.

And it is my new career, the street as my new home, and them as my new family.

And so I can say, that three thousand pesos was the best investment I ever did.

"Looking forward, Stepping ahead and moving on" / Statue of Ninoy in Baywalk.

"The look". A kid in Baclaran, still optimistic despite the heat and noise.

"Hearing the Mass from the Outside" -- Outside Baclaran Church, people I wonder what their prayers are for.

"We all have the same wheels, going on different directions" -- Somewhere near Quiapo

"My stairs is not solitary" -- Somewhere in Binondo

Taken during Day 01 of the workshop, somewhere in Baclaran, this pic I considered as my first SP shot. / "My foot with the colorful steps."

I'm so in love

2011-10-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Everytime my bebi closed the gate to head to work, he will pause for a moment, look back and says I love you with a sweet smile, which brought me back to the same feeling I felt when I first met him. The "kilig" moment is still there, and hasn't fade a bit.

I-con

2011-10-06T01:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the breakthrough and showing us that dreams are endless and all possible. Great job Mr. Jobs.

Vintage

2011-10-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

Watching these shows made me realized that I have a huge fascination with vintage things. Maybe it started during my childhood. Before we moved to Lian, we lived in Wawa's house and she loves antiques so I think her collections had a great impact on me.

I hope someday, when LA and I finally have our own house, I'll be able to decorate it with vintage things. I actually have antique jars already which I found in Tatay's bodega and made into luminaries. Oh, I will love to put some vintage artwork on our future house wall made of terracotta bricks. Some vintage stools in our mini bar adjacent to our kitchen, or classic lighting beside our comfy couch. Oh, a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT390 downstairs wouldn't be bad at all.

Vintage and recycled. That will be our theme. Classic beauty. Loved by nature.

Oh well, someday... someday. ^_^

For Square

2011-10-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Because someone really cares.

"Square"

2011-10-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, September 30, LA and I decided to go to Makati Cinema Square to have lunch. At the basement parking, we found an abandoned kitten. He's so little but his voice, as soft as it is, can be heard even if the engines of the parked cars were louder than his. Our hearts can't simply ignore this little soul and as we approached him, we realized that he was still a baby, maybe a few days old. What concerned us more, aside from the heat and the smoke in the basement which adds to his agony and hunger from abandonment, was his crippled back legs. After checking his condition, LA looked at me and I read through his eyes that question if we could bring him home. Feeling the same way, I nodded. LA picked him up carefully. We get back to the car and drove to the nearest Mercury Drugstore to buy a dropper for his feeding. We totally forgot our reason why we went to MCS which is to have lunch, but that hunger was ignored because we were more concerned about the kitten's immediate needs.

By the way, we decided to name him Square, derived from the place where we found him.

At home, we looked for a basket, put two cushions so Square can lay comfortably. LA prepared his milk and I showed him how to use the dropper. Square sipped a little. Maybe he knew we were there and he decided to sleep after a few more sip. We brought him inside our room and placed his basket near where we could check upon him easily.

LA kept his caring eyes on him all day. Even checked him whenever he cries at dawn.

But despite our efforts, his fragile body couldn't fight anymore. After three days, he finally let go.

LA asked me if what we did was ok. That if we could have done something more to keep him stay longer. I just told him that maybe, Square really asked for us, that he cried his loudest for us to hear, back there in the basement, because he knew that we could at least do our best, to make him feel loved and cared.

We will miss you Square and hope for that short little time, we made you happy, cause you made us feel so.

Flashback! K by Cunanan's Food Tasting

2011-09-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Alam ko na medyo late na (two years late, to be more specific) ang post na ito. Pero I noticed na medyo popular yun wedlink ko regarding our wedding caterer, K by Cunanan. Anyway, I dug this pic sa old hard disk and decided to share it to all brides or event planners who are looking for reviews about K.

Well, all I can say is, pretty pretty satisfied kami on having K as our caterer. Awesome food and service, plus yun styling nya was added bonus talaga.

The pics below aren't exactly yun kinuha namin for the wedding, pero most of it eh yun ang na-served. Like yun appettizer, salad, rice and dessert. Why you wonder bakit di kami nag go sa pasta, kasi di mahilig si LA sa pesto. Tapos yun baby potatoes di rin kasi ayaw namin mabusog agad yun guests, hehe.

Here's our menu: Cocktail hour: Hoisin chicken wrap, Fresh Vietnamese springroll, Spinach and feta cheese triangles with marinara sauce. Dinner: Assorted bread with Liver Pate; Brocolli cheese soup and squash soup; Barbeque chicken salad, Grilled red snapper with mango salsa and coconut cream, Japanese rolled chicken stuffed with cheese and leeks drizzled with teriyaki sauce, Honey nut prawn, carrot rice, panna cotta with strawberry and mango, banoffee cups, chocolate mousse in martini glasses, flourless chocolate cake, apple crumble with vanilla ice cream, raspberry iced tea, brewed coffee and tarragon tea. Kung may na miss ako, sensya na po kasi nakalimutan ko na. Pero more or less, eto yun menu namin.

Below are the pics of our first food tasting with K. Yun second tasting where kasama na namin family, di na nakunan ng picture, kasi sobra nag enjoy na kami sa pagkain. ^_____^

Brocolli Soup (super yummy!)

Spinach and feta cheese triangles with marinara sauce(Heaven!)

Barbeque Chicken Salad (to die for!)

Carrot rice (Fave ni LA)

Mixed seafood or vongole pasta with chopped fresh tomatoes and pesto
(Fave ko kaya lang di hilig ni LA ang pesto)

Baby potatoes with beef (dunno exactly pero sarap din)

Grilled Tuna with Wasabi Mashed Potato (kaiba kaya I like)

Cream Brulee (yum!)

Defense of the Ancients aka DoTA

2011-09-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. I should have written something about this looooooonnnggg ago because this is the only "karibal" I have with LA (which actually made me thankful.. you know.. rather than.. you know...)

Anyway, I used to play DoTA or Defense of the Ancients under the WoW (World of Warcraft) Frozen Throne game. A map made by Icefrog. Seriously, this Icefrog is hell of a genius where I used to quote, "Why the heck didn't I thought about DoTA? I should have created it not him!" Ok, enough of Icefrog, well my first character was Razor, after is Lina Inverse, and then shifted to Bristleback (cause I love dogs you know). I played Kardel too. I enjoyed playing this game whenever I'm with LA's side as sentinels fighting the scourge heroes controlled by his brothers' Jo and Awi. We even went to EGG (Extreme Gaming Grounds) in Glorietta before just to play in multiplayer flatform of four. Whew, that was a long time ago and having the most updated map now and new build heroes made that EGG experience really ancient! Oh well, hehe, time passed so fast when you're enjoying. Right now, rented pc servers and LAN were history cause we enjoyed the game in the comfort of our own couch, thanks to gaming laptops Jo and Awi purchased for themselves.

But I stopped playing DoTA.

Why did I stopped playing? One reason, I hate dying heroes, heheh. Also, I hate to think that LA will get frustrated on me cause I will rampage all his sentinels. After all, I'm a very good player! Bwaha! Better stop now than give him reason to get disappointed. Right bebi? *winks

Hey, I'm still a DoTA player at heart and I'll just be my bebi's best supporter whenever he have a game, may it be in against the Garena trashtalkers or the Newsboys. ^_^

DoTA joke from Marlex Palomar “PALS"

This made me cry....

2011-09-28T03:20:00.000-07:00

That's why I always say "I love you" to all the people that matters to me most, cause hearing their replies simply completes the meaning of my life. They are my life, my everything.

So LA, my bebi, I love you so much dear. Lego, Mama loves you so much. Nanay and Tatay, I love you and so many thanks. To all my family, I love you all. My friends, I'm just here.

Wedding photography

2011-09-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I received a call just this afternoon inquiring about my availability on October 15. They want me to be the main photographer on a wedding. Ok. Well, uhm... wedding? OMG! Am I ready?????

Honestly, this is my first wedding photo assignment, and I also consider this as my big break in the business. I'd been doing engagement shoots before so I can say I'm already familiar with the "pre-wedding" scenario. Yeah, the actual wedding event is pretty different with prenups, so does it mean I'm not ready yet?

Well, kidding aside, I have been doing some corporate coverages recently which became my bread and butter and guess what, I'd been doing quite well. My client even said I'm pretty smart in one occasion! And I'm sure that they are pretty satisfied with the services I have given them, cause if not, why hire me for five consecutive occasions, ayt? And yes, they are are planning to hire me again for more assignments and I'll be hearing from them soon.

Also, I always have this feeling of nervousness and excitement whenever I am given a photography project where my guts always tells me that whenever I feel like this, I will do quite well. That's what I felt exactly when I heard about the wedding photography job. Yes, I felt nervous and excited at the same time.

So, am I ready for wedding photography? Hell yes! As a matter of fact, I just assembled my team! The Focus Studio Creative Team!

Wait world, we are coming! We have our passion and love for photography which will serve as our weapons and armors to conquer the creative world of exposure! And as our aperture started to shine, soon, the balance of light will be bestowed upon us and we'll be developed as "A Peek'Ture" perfect organisms who will form the ART OF LIGHT. ^____^

Ok, back to reality.... (reading wedding photography ebook... Ah, so that's the trick, I see... next page....)

Ako din... ^___^

2011-09-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

If LA had a picture with a celebrity, I also have one.

This happened backstage during our fashion event in Cebu. I was actually taking pictures of the scenes backstage for a purpose of documenting it for my post report. I happened to stand beside Akihiro whom became an aqcuaintance already cause he already worked as model in our previous shows. Anyway, we were chattin about the cool Japanese outfit of his fellow models when Rhett, a fashion designer, called our attention and asked us to pose. And there, he took our picture and tagged me on FB when he uploaded it in his profile.

Link: LA's pic with Ms. Angel : http://chocoberryorange.blogspot.com/2011/08/las-girlfriend.html

Face Painting

2011-09-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

It's F's 3rd birthday today and I was asked by Val to be the event photographer. Well how can I say no. Anyway, LA was asked to be the face painter, a task he have never done before which made him really nervous. But I believe in him cause he is such an amazing artist. So before the party started, I volunteered to be his first canvas and here's his masterpiece. You'll never know that he never did this art before.

Eight years and counting.....

2011-09-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

On the same date today, eight years ago... my entire life changed. I can say that loving him was the second best thing that happened in my life, because finding him was the first.

I love you so much bebi. Happy 8th Anniversary.

Project 01: Learn something new

2011-09-20T05:12:00.000-07:00

Assignment A: FRENCH!

I'd been dreaming of having to speak, write, and understand other languages aside from Filipino and English. And finally, I came into a realization, "What's stopping me anyway???"

So there, I looked for an audiobook and started to learn French!

Now, the only regret I feel is why I didn't start this lesson before? I'm loving French language more as I go through my lessons and I actually can't help myself on texting and calling LA to share the new words I learned.

But I'm not stopping with French . I want to learn Spanish and German too. Or more as long as time and comprehension allow me.

My birthday gift

2011-09-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sabi ni LA, "may surprise na ko sa yo for your birthday!" Although alam kong gusto nya talaga gamitin for himself etong gift na to, he decided to give it to me. Alam nya kasi na matagal ko na gusto magkaroon ng Swatch pero ewan ko ba, bakit di ko mapasok sa budget, hehe.

Kaya ayan, he gave me this.

Hay, ang swerte ko talaga! Sobrang bait at sweet at thoughtful ng bebi kew! Thanks bebi for a very wonderful gift!

On our way to Edsa Shang

2011-09-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up 5am cause or my cellphone. My client reminded me about my photography job that day. I needed to be on location exactly 10am. That night, I already asked ma if I can ride with them and said they will leave at 8am. I fell asleep again and was awaken by the alarm and started to prepare.

On our way to Edsa, while Dad was driving, he remembered something. An a conversation started, and it goes a little something like this:

"Naalala ko nung bata pa ko, nilalakad ko etong buong haba ng daan na ito, sa loob ng apat na taon. Grade one lang ako nung nagsimula akong maglakad" kwento ni Dad.

"Bakit ala bang tricycle?" tanong ni Ma.

"Meron, pero may bayad na singko eh." sagot ni Dad.

"Isipin mo, singko lang nung araw, samantalang ngayon..." himutok ni Ma. "Pero nung sumakay ako ng tricycle, ang alam ko sampung piso ang bayad."

"Eh ilang taon ka na ba nun?" tanong ni Dad. "Magkasing edad lang naman tayo, nauna ka lang sa buwan", dagdag pa.

Nag-react si Ma, kita mo sa mukha. Parang ayaw paamin na mas matanda sya kay Dad.

Nagpatuloy ng pang-aasar si Dad. "Baka naman di ka talaga pinapalabas ni Nanay kaya huli ka na nakasakay ng tricycle, hehehe."

Eto kasi yun linya ni Ma naaalala kong sinabi ni Ma to "someone" nung maiinis sya dito. Ibinabalik ni Dad yun lintanya kay Ma na parang sya na ngayon ang pinatatamaan. Hehe, sa amin na lang yun, at sorry, pero di ko pwedeng i-share ang buong kwento. Maybe next time pag may permiso na ako mula sa kanila.

Di pa pala tapos si dad magkwento, ginatungan pa ni nya yung discussion. "Basta yung singko ko, ibinibili ko ng biscocho. Tapos hahatiin ko sa dalawa. Yung isa, kakainin ko. Yung isa, ibebenta ko. Eh di bumalik pa ang singko ko." pagmamalaki nito. Parang yun kwento nya rin na ito eh katulad nung tungkol sa payabangan nilang magkaka-klase tungkot sa baong pagkain. Kung yun mga pagkain ng mga kaklase nya ay sosyal, di daw sya patatalo kasi kanya ang pinaka-nakakabusog. Pandesal na may palamang singangag. ^__^

Hehe, oo nga naman, naisip ko. Kung maabilidad ka, di ka magugutom.

Nakakatuwa lang isipin na ganito mag-usap ang aking mga in-laws. Lagi may kwento, lagi may masaya na makulit na alaala. At laging handa nilang i-share ito sa isa't-isa. Swerte ko nga at kahit papano, nakakasama din ako sa kwentuhan nila. At sa totoo lang, ang sarap isipin na sana, till we grow old, ganito din kami ni LA, walang nagbago at lalo naging close at sweet. ^__^

My birthday treat

2011-09-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yey! LA and I went on a date! It's my birthday! We decided to visit "132." (our LB4 lot) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna where we started to plan our future dreams as we watched the community spent their afternoon at the clubhouse. Then, we drove up and had our buko tart snack at Loumars. After chillin a little at Lourmars' Cafe, we went to Tagaytay for sumptous dinner. We stuffed ourselves with Italian feast at Carlos' Pizza. Then, had a machiato at Starbucks while chilling and taking pictures of ourselves. It may seem simple, but we had a lot of fun. I love you so much bebi, and I thank you for spending this special day with me. Mwah!

Here are some of the pictures we took. ^_^

Happy birthday to me! ^___^

2011-09-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

Yey! It's my birthday tomorrow! I'm 31!

I have so many things to thank to. First is the chance. This second chance to live and the opportunity to live it to the fullest. Officially, tomorrow is my "birthday", but I also celebrated my "second life birthday" last August 2. Geez.. hehe, I'm really lucky to have two wonderful celebrations every year.

I am also thankful to my family, they are the best gift I have and I have my whole life to share with them. I will definitely cherish every moment I have with them. Go three musketeers (aka LALeGo)! Thank you very much, nanay, tatay, ma, dad and all my siblings!

Basta! Thankful ako about everything! And for that, here's a cute converse cupcake for me! Yummy! ^___^

My "Lengskididoodles" page

2011-09-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was fascinated with illustrations and I love to draw, especially doing comics. I have so many stories that I wanted to transform into graphic novels and Nala was one of them. Unfortunately, when our laptop was stolen, all my Nala files were lost with it. With the lost, the momentum was lost too, plus my busy schedule forbid me to do some updates.

Right now, I'm pursuing my first love which is photography. But it doesn't mean that I have lost all my love with illustrations, actually, I'd been more eager to have it continued. I really hope I'll be able to continue Nala and experience the fun adventures once more! ^__^

Napansin nyo ba?

2011-09-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Did you guys noticed? I changed the banner!!!

Because its no longer just LA and I! We have Lego! So expect my posts about him. Ang kulit nya so I'm sure makulit din ang mga blogs na masusulat ko.

At dahil sweet kid si Lego, yun icon nya eh sweet berry cupcake. ^_____^

Also, this site used to be our "wedsite". Now, it will evolve into our own personal online journal. Updates on what we think, what we want to say, what we experienced, ah basta! Yun mga exciting na mga nangyayari at sa tingin namin ay di boring basahin. ^____^

Pwede rin naman na... kung mga problems kayo and you feel you need someone to talk to or advise, PM nyo lang kami (kasi si LA eh magaling na communicator at adviser, ako naman, listener)

Basta anything you think you needed our help (wag lang financially ha kasi ala talaga kayo maaasahan sa min pagdating jan, broke na broke!), just inform us ha? Kung may mga ideas din kayo na gusto i-share. Basta anything good, yummy, nice, colorful, fun, exciting under the sun, pag-usapan natin. ^_^

Ayun! Kita-kits! *winks

Some wacky nonesense conversation

2011-08-26T01:05:00.000-07:00

2am last night. Sabi ko kay LA, I was thinking on how could I rescue Spartacus (kakatapos lang kasi namin mag marathon ng Spartacus: Blood and Sand nun isa araw) kung ako'y ako at na-teleport sa panahon nila.

Di ako pwede makipag deal kay Batiatus kasi kelangan nya ng maraming dinari, at di rin nya syempre papayagang ibenta sa kin si Spartacus. Ayaw ko naman makipag deal sa mga guards kasi bastos sila (actually almost all characters are perverts), or makipag gamble kay Ashur kasi culprit yun. Si Lucretia naman, traydor, baka gawin pa akong slave.

So, sabi ko, pinakamadali na siguro eh, magdala ako ng machine gun at grenade. Hehee (devilish grin). Or yun nga, gumawa ng bomb tapos i-address ko kila Batiatus at Lucretia with note na, "a great gift for the greatest lanista and his lovely wife". Pagbukas nila BOOOOM! Hindi na siguro malalaman ng mga kinauukulan ang nanyari sa kanila kasi sa pagkakaalam ko, ala pa bombs noong time nila. (Wa! Ang sama! Morbid! Morbid!)

Si LA naman, sabi maging mutant na lang daw sya. Ay, sabi ko, oo nga! Ako power ni Wolverine! Para pag dinala ako sa arena, di ko na kelangan ng sword tapos kahit hiwain nila ako, mag regenerate lang katawan ko. Ako pa ang magiging champion! Taob si Crixus!

"Eh pano kung putulan ka ng ulo?" asked ni LA. "Ay di yan tatalab! Lahat ng bones ko eh adamantium!"

"Iiispin din nila na devil ka, hehehe" sabi ni LA. Uu nga, ang pangit naman na reputasyon!

Para mas mukhang totoo na devil, si Hulk na lang siguro. Pag tinukso sya ng mga tao na, "Ang liit at payatot naman ng ilalaban nyo kay Theocales!" Maaasar yun sa insulto at magiging berdeng higante. Siguradong takbuhan palabas ng arena ang lahat sa takot, kahit si Theocales, matutulala at sasabihin kay Hulk na "Joke lang!" sabay peace sign. Aapakan lang sya ni Hulk sabay talon sa pinakamalapit na bundok para magpahid ng paa (Waaaaa!!! Morbid! Morbid! Kadiri ka Leng!!)

Or si Azazel na lang kaya. Tatakutin nya ang lahat kasi mukha talaga syang devil, at fallen angel sya according sa Xmen Mythology. Iteleport nya lang sa langit lahat ng tiwaling government officials para magtino. Pag di nakinig, at least naranasan nilang lumipad bago mamatay. (Anubayan! Morbid! Morbid ka talaga!!!)

Isip pa kami.

Isa sa best character na naisip namin eh si Sebastian Shaw. Kasi, kahit bugbugin sya ng lahat ng gladiators, lalo syang lalakas at di tatablan ng kahit na anong weapons sa panahon nila. Yun nga lang, pag di na sya nakakakuha ng force, ordinaryong tao na lang sya. At takot sya sa tubig kasi pwede syang malunod. Pano nga kung malaman ng mga tao ang weakness nya di ba? Ang sabi ko naman, para lagi syang may makuhang force, tumakbo sya at humampas sa pader tuwing umaga pagkagising.

Though yun nga, ala nang tatalo kung si Professor X, kasi uutusan nya lang si Cesar. Tapos na.

Ang nangyari, naging plano namin ni LA na iligtas ang lahat ng slaves sa panahon na yun pagkatapos namin palayain si Spartacus. Then what? Naku, pano kung maapektuhan ang current situation natin kasi binago namin ang history??!!! Katakot!

Kaya ayun, wag na lang nga. Hayaan na natin si Spartacus dun. Tutal, malaki na naman sya. ^___^

LA's girlfriend????

2011-08-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

Wah??? Totoo ba eto?? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just kiddin. Actually, tinawagan ko pa nga si LA na magpa-picture sa kanya when I learned that she visited the office. Mano, sa lahat kasi ng local actresses, sya talaga yun gusto ni LA. Maganda, magaling, at higit sa lahat, mabait. Kahit naman ako gusto ko sya eh. Hehe. Kaya ok lang talaga sa kin yun maging kunsitidor paminsan-minsan. Tsaka, minsan lang naman yan.

At alam nyo ba, sa dami-dami ng celebrities na pumupunta sa office, yan ang first time nya na magpa-picture with them.

That's what "Angels" can do. ^_____^

PS. Pag si JL ang pumunta sa office, susugod talaga ako dun!!!

Home Service for the Well-Groomed Pets

2011-08-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

Home Service for the Well-Groomed Pets

The Three Musketeers

2011-05-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

I should have uploaded this long ago. But its never too late.

One picture I treasure most. For the most important in my life are here...

First anniversary, up there

2011-01-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

So I asked LA, "Ano surprise mo sa kin? It's your turn. Last year ako na, ah?"

Baka na pressured, ayun, bigla ngang nag-plan. Hehe.

"Ano, kaya mong bumiyahe?" tanong sa kin. I consulted my doctor first. Nun nag-go si doctor, sabi ko kay LA, "Call!"

And that was our first long trip together. Up to Baguio!!Matagal na namin plan ni LA na mag-long trip. Di lang matuloy, busy, di magtama ang sched, ala sasakyan, minsan, ala pera. Pero its about time. Grabe, nakakatuwa kasi lahat nabigla nun sabihin ni LA kila Ma at Dad na, "Byahe kami ng Baguio mamaya." Walang pakundangan eh.. hehe, direct to the point. Si Val tuloy, ayun napatawag. Mga advice where to stay, ano pwede gawin. Sabi pa nga ni Dad, "Ingat kayo sa byahe, Marcos hiway magdaan ha?" Pati sina Nanay at Tatay ko di mapakali. Nagpabili na lang ng "strowberi" -- text ng Nanay ko, ganyan talaga ang spelling nyan. Ang tatay, yun daw mga danggit sa Pangasinan ang gusto, ang kuya ko naman, nahuli ang bilin dun sa kahoy na dekorasyong pag binuksan ay may *Toooot***. Si Ma, basta kahit ano from Good Shepherd.

So enjoy ang byahe, Friday 3pm kami umalis ng Bulacan (gawa nag-swap pa ng car with kuya). Bumili pa kami ng mapa sa gasoline station kahit na ilang beses nang tinanong ni LA ang way kay Jim (PDI officemate). Feeling tourist talaga, hehe.

Ayos naman, nahiram kasi namin yun Mitsubishi Adventure kaya di kami takot sa ahon at zigzag. Gabi na nun makita namin yun sign na "to Baguio". Kaya txt agad ako kila Ma malapit na po kami ,Marcos Hiway na. So ayun, drive drive.. kwentuhan kami ni LA, pinapakain ko ng Whopper kasi nagutom na. Relax lang. Asa Marcos Hiway kami... di nakakatakot kahit gabi. Nang biglang makita namin ang isang malaking ulo ng leon. Wait? May ulo na rin ba ng leon sa Marcos Hiway?????

Wa! Kenon Road pala kami napunta!!!!Nak ng pusa! Hehe, kakaiwas sa zigzag, dun din pala nasuot. Hehe... Pero oki naman, kasi nawala na rin ang shock eventually, at lumakas ang self-confidence lalo ni LA sa driving kasi, nakaakyat na sya ng Kenon Road. Asus, di naman pala mahirap. Hehehe..

Microtel kami nag-stay. Pinilit ko LA kahit na dun sa una nya talaga napili eh mas mura. Sabi ko, ang dilim dun, tsaka malayo sa Burnham. Buti nga yun, pumayag na Microtel na lang. Ang di nya alam, nagayuma lang ako nun amoy ng brewed coffee sa lobby ng Microtel. hahaha! Pero kidding aside, good choice na rin kasi naglakad lang kami papunta SM. (Naks, talagang SM ha, parang alang SM sa Maynila, hane?)

Ang saya namin. Talagang nagpaka-turista kami! Sa botanical garden, nagpakuha sa mga igorot, nag pose sa mga statue at sa mga halaman. Ayaw ko lang talagang sumakay sa kabayo kaya piniktyuran ko na lang sila sa Wright Park, (naawa ako sa kabayo, pink pa ang buhok). Nagsuot Igorot kami sa Mansion, bumili ng taho na strawberry flavor. Nagpapicture with Douglas-the St. Bernard sa Mines View, nagpa-henna tattoo, nagpa-sketch sa mga artists sa Tam-auan Village, inakyat ang Lourdes Grotto, at kumain sa SM foodcourt. May binili nga pala kaming sapatos, VANS, worth 500 pesos, dun sa labas ng SM. Yun binili namin na shoes sa loob ng SM, anak nun chucks shoes namin nung wedding. Basta, yun na yun. Explain ko na lang soon. Yan ginawa namin nung Saturday.

Sunday, destination - Burnham park. After breakfast, punta na kami Burnham gamit ang aming bagong shoes. Tambay-tambay. Tingin sa tyangge. Namangka kami ng isang oras. Tinulugan ako ni LA nung mapagod magsagwan kaya ako na lang nagpatakbo nun bangka, bahala kung makabunggo o kung san anurin. heheh. Nun makapahinga naman sya, karera ang ginawa.

After nun, kain ng burger sa tabi-tabi. Tapos punta ng palengke, bili ng pasalubong. Tapos nagsimba kami nun 4pm. After, kumain ng sizzling sa may Session Road. Napagod din kaya maaga kami umuwi para magpahinga, mga 7pm na yun.

Monday, breakfast ulit, pero rest na till check-out. Dumaan kami ulit ng Mines View para ibili si Ma sa Good Shepherd. Kenon ulit.. ssshhhh... Pagdating sa Pangasinan, namakyaw ako ng daing. Nakalibre tuloy ako ng sukang may sili.

6pm nun makarating kami sa Bulacan. Dun na rin kami nag-dinner sa bahay ng kuya. Sinundo na ulit namin si "hatch" (LA's red honda hatchback") at sinoli si Adventure.

Pagdting sa bahay, pagod. Pero super saya. Sabi ko nga agad kay LA, "So, kelan tayo balik?" hehehe..

Sabi nya, "Surprise na lang kita ulit."

Love you!

-------------------------------

Baguio trip happened December 10-13, 2010

Bagaholic Ties the Knot: Got FreeNup?

2011-01-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

Bagaholic Ties the Knot: Got FreeNup?: "Being a W@Wie has its perks and one of them is having the first dibs on freebies. LOL! This time, I got us a FreeNup! Yey! :)) Last night, M..."

-----------

thanks so much sis for the opportunity. now i'm pretty excited to shoot everyone. hope this is a great year and a beginning of a "refreshing start". ^____^

Our first year together

2010-12-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

By Alizza Butiong-Mistades

It was the happiest day, December 11th, 2009. Imagine, while I’m wearing my Joey Samson’s wedding gown, I saw him standing there. Though he’s nervous, I can see in his eyes that same happiness he had when I said “yes” to him seven years ago. Finally, on this day, I’m going to be Mrs. Alizza Mistades. Yes, the luckiest of them all.
We took our vows and I remember telling him “from that very day I saw you, I know, “Ikaw na, ikaw lang.” Wow, I can’t believe that I’m marrying my best friend, who happened to be my classmate also, as well as my officemate, kumpare, business partner, partner-in-crime, mentor, adviser, “at lahat-lahat na.”

The wedding was really a moment to remember. We had our honeymoon at a cozy place, had a yummy candle lit dinner and had the best vacation after. We spent our first month together at home. We woke up with a lovely breakfast everyday, cooked lunch together and do window shopping during weekends. I always called him at work to check if he’s well and waited for him till he yell “luv, I’m home!” later every night.

After three months, it was confirmed. One of the best news we had. We’re going to have a baby. It was a nice feeling. A honeymoon baby! We’re lucky. All are excited when they heard about the news and eagerly looking forward to our next adventure. Soon we will be the three musketeers. We nicknamed him Lego based from the first uttered word LA said when he saw his first ultrasound print.

But my pregnancy wasn’t easy. I had a threatened abortion on my first trimester and was advised to rest. However, work was on its tightest and the stress level was high. After two weeks rest, leg works resumed. I just became more careful during that time and continued doing all the responsibilities in the office.

On June 28th, I was on my third trimester when I got sick. So I requested if I could take a leave till the day I give birth which is due September 13th, my birthday. The pregnancy was difficult that I have to stay in bed most of the time, do a little effort whenever I need to use the bathroom or get up to eat.

July 29th. I was confined because of high blood pressure. My OB told me that we were just buying time for the baby and do the C Section eventually. So they gave me medications that prepared me and Lego for early delivery. I was still smiling though worried. I really wanted to see my baby but it will be too early for him to come out. After two days, I was discharged and continued to rest at home while in constant contact with my doctor. We’re hoping for another two weeks before I give birth.

August 2nd, 3 days had passed, around 5:30pm. I started to feel uneasy. My blood pressure was 160/100. I felt cramps in my belly. My nanay was pretty worried but I kept on telling her to relax. I told her that I need to rest and maybe the BP will stabilize. But it didn’t. So I called LA around 6pm and told him to fetch me. I wanted to go to the hospital soon. I already informed my doctor and she’s already on her way there. Rush hour delayed us and we reached the hospital by 7:30pm. In the admission room, my blood pressure was still high. They put Doppler on my belly to monitor my baby’s heartbeat. But there was none. He was also not moving. As my doctor arrived, my blood pressure dropped. I was feeling sleepy, yet my belly was aching. Desperate to find a little hope for my baby, she searched for a heartbeat using the ultrasound instead. I began to talk to Lego to please, hang in there. “Hang in there baby, mommy is here. I won’t let go,” I whispered softly. Maybe he heard me. It was a very soft move. He kicked. Like he was telling me, “Ma, I’m still here”.

With that, my doctor called for the staff and ordered to prepare the Operating Room ASAP. They prepared my gown and rushed me inside the OR. My anesthesiologist was talking to me, keeping me calm. He told me that he will put me to sleep and I should relax for everything is going to be alright. Things started to get blurry but I can still see their silhouettes, rushing, yelling. I just told myself, “This is it. See you soon Lego,” and the bright light was the last thing I remembered as well as the gentle whispers before I fell asleep.

I woke up seeing chaos everywhere. There were so many people around. I noticed my arms and found many tubes attached. There were Dopplers on my chest, tubes in my nose and every tube was either connected to packs, bottles or machines. Then I saw LA. He was the only person I recognized. His eyes were really worried but somehow relieved. He reached for my hands which I could barely move. I asked for my baby and he replied that Lego is doing well. I asked him when I could see him. He just answered soon. “Be better soon,” he added. After that, I saw more familiar faces like my nanay and tatay, dad, kuya, uncles and relatives. They kept on saying “kaya mo yan” and I’ll reply with a thumbs up, barely lifting my shaking hands. They also said I became a “mestiza” because I was so pale, almost paper white. My uncle also informed me about the priest. He gave me prayers and offered me a mass. I prayed with them.

Clueless from what’s happening, all I was thinking of was when I would be transferred to my room and be with my baby. Also, I was so thirsty and asked every nurse I saw for a glass of water but all they did was damped my lips with a moist cotton ball. Everyone was so busy. Doctors came in, nurses extracted blood from my feet for my arms were already numb from the previous extractions. Multiple x-rays, ultrasound, ECG. I got so many tubes connected to bottles, packs and machines which made it harder to move. Occasionally, nurses will lift my back so a doctor can check my breathing, while another doctor looked at my wound and someone else on other parts of my body. I heard somewhere that they might “open” me again because my belly was getting huge. I also heard that I have to pee soon. I asked for nanay and LA to be beside me always and every time they reached for me I noticed their eyes was still red and watery. Maybe they cried, just worried perhaps.

Above all that chaos in the recovery room, there was a moment when I felt very sleepy. That time, fear suddenly strikes. I was so afraid to sleep that I fought hard not to close my eyes. I felt an immense fear, not of death, but leaving everyone behind. It was a tremendous fear of loneliness and there’s no way I’ll leave like that. No, not until I see and hug my baby, and not till I experience life and dream with LA once more. Panicked, I called for my doctor and asked her desperately to do something. “I don’t want to sleep, please help me. I don’t want to go, not this way,” I begged. My doctor calmed me down, told me to relax and comfort me. But I know deep inside, she, as well as everyone around me, were trying their hardest to comfort me. LA hold and calmed me, he promised he won’t leave my side. Not now, not ever.

I was transferred to MICU after 10 hours. Medications continued and they assigned three nurses to care for me. Those were difficult days, painful and restless. I’m still very thirsty. I could barely rest because the machines were so noisy. They alarmed whenever it had abnormality readings. Blood extraction every hour. Continued x-rays, ultrasound, ECG, blood transfusions, etc. They even put tube in my nose and Bypop for I can hardly breathe. I can’t remember all those painful procedures but what hurts me most was not able to see Lego yet, and keep him by my side.

To somehow ease my pain, LA took videos and pictures of Lego while he’s still in NICU. Those videos were my only way to be with Lego and it gave me strength to go through all what’s happening. Like me, he is also fighting. During my 5th day in MICU, my “Christmas tree” (tubes hanging, dextrose, etc) started to decrease. My MICU doctor challenged me to get up and sit. If I do, she will personally request for a team to bring me to NICU and finally see my baby. With that, I emotionally and mentally prepared. I told myself I’ll do it. I’ll sit, I’ll get out of here and I’ll see him.

On the sixth day, I got up with the help of my nurses. I sat beside the bed and started to slowly swing my legs. I’m preparing for the big moment. Ready to take my first breakfast, I sipped the hot soup and drunk some water for the first time in days. I was transferred to a comfy lazy boy chair while waiting every second for my “Go NICU team” to arrive. Finally, they came and with all my strength, I reached for the wheelchair one step at a time while my nurses guided me and LA holding my arms.

Nervous and excited as I arrived on that room, I reached for that transparent box. There I saw an angel. The most beautiful sight I ever saw. Oh those eyes, that gentle little fragile body. The first time I touched him seems like everything had stopped. All I can see was him, with me and his daddy. Finally, I felt so peaceful and happy. We are complete. It’s my family. We’re the three musketeers. LA, Lego and I. For the first time, I cried.

We stayed in the hospital for a month. Lego had his therapy, medications and further tests. I needed to be closely monitored too. What happened to me was an experience I won’t forget. I can still remember when my doctor told me what really happened. I had an abruptio placenta. They said that if it took me another 5 minutes before the operation, Lego and I would have been gone. I was bleeding inside and Lego was out of oxygen for five minutes. When I had my C-section, I started to bleed nonstop. 3 liters of blood were lost. I was literally bleeding to death. My kidneys failed. My heart enlarged due to stress for I was transfused with more than 30 bags of blood. My lungs were damaged. There were so many complications. Lego had complications too. My doctors said that we are really lucky for very few, almost to none, had survived this kind of case. Until now that we’re outpatient, caution and continued tests and medications are still advised. We regularly visit our doctors. We had specialists monitoring our recovery.

Regarding the medical expenses, it was really a time when we had proven we are not alone. Pledges come in. A friend of a friend donated amounts to help us. Strangers helped. Long lost colleagues visit us in the hospital. Everyone we know offered mass and prayers. And we are really thankful and grateful to everyone.
Its December once again. Lego is now four month old. He already giggles and responds with a sweet smile which made him even cuter. Everyone loves him and made him as their favorite “pamangkin” and “apo”. My facebook friends unanimously commented that he is really cute and handsome, and definitely looks like me. Sorry LA, but I won on that category. Don’t worry, for his lips and nose are from you.

Someday, Lego will be the next Mistades MVP in Ateneo. A basketball star who followed the footsteps of his Lilo Chito. Lilo will start his training as soon as he learned to play ball.

We all look forward on that time. I look forward on that time. For I am lucky and really blessed for this second chance, this second life. From now on, I will cherish every moment, look back on every memory and feel all the love. Remember bebi (LA), you promised me another wedding on our 25th year. It’s been a year already since I saw you in Joey Samson’s “John Lloyd” barong looking so handsome and dreamy near the altar. It’s already a year ago when I promised you that I’ll be with you till death do us part. What happened is just another challenge in our life and I’m sure there is more. But we, the three musketeers will face them together. Starting today and for many more years to come.

I love you so much bebi and happy anniversary. This is just our first year.

LA and Lengski

2010-02-23T21:03:00.001-08:00

Wedding Pics!! ^_^

2010-02-23T20:57:00.001-08:00

Our Wedding Family Pictures

2010-02-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

Authentic Cantonese roastings served fast

2010-02-17T01:35:00.000-08:00

Authentic Cantonese roastings served fast

What to see?

2010-01-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

here are some diy's we did that were used in our reception

Engagement shoot - "Portraits"

2010-01-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

"Portraits"
Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

Engagement shoot -"With the setting sun"

2010-01-06T19:42:00.001-08:00

"With the setting sun"
Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

Engagement shoot - "Rustic Resthouse"

2010-01-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

"Rustic Resthouse"
Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

Engagement shoot - "With Greens and Bamboos"

2010-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

"With Greens and Bamboos"
Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

Engagement Shoot - "Stone House in Lorelei"

2010-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

"Stone House"
Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

Engagement shoot -- Home in Lian, Batangas

2010-01-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

with our beloved babies and apos. ^_^

Photos by Edwin Tuyay
Lian, Batangas
November 30,2009
www.edwintuyay.blogspot.com

our official table numbers

2010-01-06T18:33:00.001-08:00

Our wedding featured in PDI's Motoring Section

2010-01-04T02:03:00.000-08:00

By Tessa Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer
December 23, 2009 Issue
Motoring Section
pages B2-6 and B2-5

Some Wedding Pics

2009-12-15T07:20:00.001-08:00

Photographer: Arch. Edu Cortez of Extremedetails Photography

Preparation and Ceremony highlights onsite AVP

2009-12-15T03:55:00.000-08:00

Video by Phoeben Teocson
Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay City
San Antonio de Padua Quasi Parish, Silang, Cavite
December 11, 2009

Our Engagement Shoot AVP

2009-12-15T03:34:00.000-08:00

Photographer: Edwin Tuyay
Location: Home in Lian, Batangas / Lorelei Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
November 30, 2009

We're one!

2009-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

One of the happiest day of our lives!

a preview of our engagement shoot

2009-12-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

....

2009-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

wah! ilang tulog na lang!!

accomplishments today

2009-11-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

Woootttt! after long hours of hunting, i finally found my shoes. geeezzzz.. its like the whole of glorietta and landmark na ata ang hinanapan ko. nung nagbakasakali ako sa SM, buti nakita ko na sya. at looooonnnngggg lasttt!! pagod na pagod na ko!

nag bridal registry na rin kami sa SM.. may napili kami griller, coffeemaker, oven, knife set, pans, plates, sofa, bed, etc.. sana may lcd tv, bose speakers, apple laptop, canon dslr, heheheheh...

ayun, namili na rin ako ng kulang for our luminaries and table numbers. tapos na rin engrave yun names namin sa aming "lotr" rings.

ay, oo nga pala, met with penk ching this morning sa manila hotel lobby to discuss our cake. pretty exciting kasi nagustuhan nya yun theme namin and she will incorporate it to our cake.. yeeep!

so my day started with my 9:30am meeting.. shoe hunting started from 2:30pm to around 6pm, SM bridal registry from 6pm to 9:00pm.. geezzz.. all walks yun! baka 15 minutes lang ata ako nakaupo nun ah? kaya suppperrrrr tired talaga!

nakakapagod talaga ng sobra ang araw na eto, pero still, at the end of the day.. its all worth it. lalo na seeing LA ng gustong-gusto yun binili kong rice topping dinner nya. hanep! ubos!.. heheh..

bukas ulit! ^_^

our ring

2009-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

one ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and "forever" bind them.

Today.. we found our ring!! ^_^

what we did yesterday and wazzup today

2009-11-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

yesterday, we had our second meeting with janice. andun si LA. naku, excited sya sa program namin for reception. tawa sya ng tawa habang nag-meeting kami. napatunayan ko tuloy kay Janice (our otd) na makulit si LA at mahiyain lang talaga sa umpisa. Sa starbucks shang yun. kaya may extra stickers na naman ako! ma-avail ko din harinawa yun planner nila.

ayun, pumunta kami ng rustan's after and look for the "famous white chrismas matches" na nag circulate ng buzz among w@wies. nakabili kami ng dalawa. weee! one accessory down! nagpa-bridal registry na rin kami sa rustans.

then we went to megamall. gutom na si LA kasi di pa sya lunch at banana bread pa lang sa starbucks ang nakain nya. at yeeepp! si LA eh gusto sa Sizzling Pepper Steak.. yehey!! syempre ako pa tanungin nyo, gustong-gusto ko din dun. Nag order pa kami ng kani salad at fish and chips aside dun sa sizzling meal. made me completely satisfied!

then ma and dad meet us there. sinamahan nila kami sa wedding library. we bought all our accessories; cord, arhae, veil, bible, pillows and garter. cute! cute! cute!

after nun, pumunta lang kami sa SM department store to buy candles. buti may SM gc kami kaya libre na tuloy lumabas yun. we also bought citronella oil.

arriving home, excited na ko agad na gawin yun unity candle. at mabilis ko lang naman sya na DIY. will post soon yun picture nya.

ngayon, its our 6year 2months anniversary. sched ni LA mag fitting ng kanyang "john lloyd" barong mamayang 1pm. still thinking kung pupunta kami sa wedding expo sa megamall to look for ring and cake supplier, or pagawa nya muna si hatch.

hmmmm.. let LA decide. ^_^

ps: HAPPY MONTHSARY BEBI KEEW!

first fitting..

2009-11-18T04:00:00.001-08:00

I had my first fitting today at Joey's shop. So far so good. I'm getting more excited. Kung pwede ko nga lang isuot pa sya ng matagal and look at myself sa mirror ng ilang minuto pa.. hmmmm... i simply love it.

I had taken my picture through my camera phone. (I went there alone kasi lunch break yun and LA is still at home). I wanted to post it sana here but I want to surprise LA. Sabi nga ni sis Arvie, "surprise him when the church door opens on that day". Nice di ba.

So tsaka ko na lang sya post. hehehe..

Ayun. Saya din.

^_^

another DIY: table numbers & luminaries

2009-11-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

entourage fitting

2009-11-15T23:08:00.001-08:00

the when and where

2009-11-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

as of today...

2009-11-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

my wedding gown designed by joey samson

2009-11-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Yeeep! Joey gave me five design sketches to choose from. And for my final choice, here it is.

I'm very very excited to see it on me and I'm eagerly looking forward to our fitting which he will sched soon. Even LA liked all the five sketches Joey gave us. It will be ivory shade with combination of flowing fabrics and mikado silk or lace.

As for LA, he will wear piña barong inspired by Joey's creation he did for John Lloyd Cruz.

strawberries and thank you tags

2009-11-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

Like our invites, all these are DIYs and labor of love. Gupit, ribbon, folding (origami) and painting the leaves. We have at least 100 strawberries to fold pa. But its an enjoyable task. Super cute kasi eh. ^_^

We're planning to put these (two strawberries plus the chuck thank you tags) on top of the table napkins.

wedding invitation

2009-11-05T18:14:00.001-08:00

Hay. Mahirap sya gawin kasi labor intensive.. but worth it kasi it's fun to do. Estimate expense: Around P1500. Lahat na yun. Papers, ribbons, sticky and abaka covers. To note na covered pa nun paper and ribbon supply yun thank you tags and seat cards. Thanks so much to MA (Mommy ni LA) for helping us with the wordings and printing.

Invites includes: Cover (the "We're tying the knot" chucks, second page info, monetary request, map, seat allocation and rsvp.)

d cast-aways

2009-10-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

Coming soon at your favorite church and reception Tagaytay wide. c( ;

Watch out for more casts of the most anticipated event of our clan. heheh

the "real" wedding berries

2009-10-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

We're classmates, officemates, magkumpare, magbarkada, game buddies, bestfriends, couple, and soon to be "one".

sama-sama tayo

2009-10-01T01:27:00.001-07:00

monogram

2009-09-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

Ang saya pala gumawa ng monogram! Naaliw ako ng husto!

This is what I came up with after I got so inspired with my fellow w@wies who have their wedding monograms.

Hmmm.. if I incorporate this to our theme... malamang may mawalan ng "role" heheheh....

wedding berries, handa na ba kayong ma demote? har har har!! ^_^

he's part our ento!

2009-09-25T08:53:00.002-07:00

Our baby! Yuri boy!!!

"Yurrriiii boyyyy! Yuuurriii boyyyyy! Yoouuuuuurrrriiii booooyyyyy!!"
LA singing to the tune of "Selecta ice cream jingle", he composed that song by the way. *wink wink

Yuri is our baby. LA had him as my very special birthday gift four years ago. He is our anniversary baby too.

And he'll be there to witness his Mommy and Daddy tie the knot.

Hey, i'm actually planning to find a barong for him. Originally, I wanted him to be our ring bearer, but the church may not be ok with the idea. So we just made him as our wedding baby.

For sure, his cuteness and kakulitan will make our wedding more memorable. ^_^

cupcake coaster

2009-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

we will use this as our "cupcake coaster". para sabay na rin sya mabibigay to all our guests. will just have it printed out on boards. thanks to ms. mundi wundi (my bridesmaid) for helping me with the poem. ^_^

"We would like to invite all of you
To do the same that we'll do,
Instead of giving wedding souvenirs,
We'll give to those advanced in years.
It's time to share a simple happiness,
To lolo's and lola's who years of life they have been blessed,
And in a resting home they now share,
We'd like to cheer them with the thought we care.

LA & Leng
12/11/09

Vitamins, toiletries, Ensure Milk, adult diapers,
and most importantly, our time, will greatly help
our Lolo's and Lolas at Kanlungan ni Maria.

Kanlungan ni Maria is located at 17 Lanzones Road,
Nayong Silangan, Antipolo City. Tel. No. 650-8102, mobile 0915-6002631.
Email: kanlungannimaria@yahoo.com"

chic and casual

2009-09-22T22:39:00.001-07:00

Ayaw ko ng KorKor!!

Yun lang kasi yung type ng tela na nakita ko based on my initial design for our entourage. Printed chocolate brown and beige fabric. KorKor lang available... "kurtinahin".

Kaya we resorted to our second option which is, plain fabric. Ok lang naman kasi it is still chic and casual. And I like it. (Yup bebi, don't worry. Di na printed gowns ng ento natin and you have nothing to be afraid of na. ^_^)

We like the idea that our ento can still use the gowns after the wedding. It will also serve as our gifts to them. At ang saya ng feeling when I showed them the designs, super excited ako. They can't hardly wait! Maganda nga raw, very chic and casual.

Tita Nancy got their measurements last Monday. Hopefully second or third week ng October, go na ang first fitting namin.

Excited na kaming lahat. ^_^

sharing our blessings and happiness...

2009-09-17T23:42:00.001-07:00

We are still baking the cupcakes as giveaways. But the main reason why we are not buying other goodies as giveaways is our "sponsored beneficiary", Kanlungan ni Maria.

"Most Filipino families take care of their elderly. Kanlungan ni Maria takes in the rest

EXACTLY one year after he arrived at the Kanlungan ni Maria, Lolo D got the news that one of his siblings had passed away three days previously. Another sibling died soon after, but the news also reached him belatedly. Abandoned in this shelter for the elderly, Lolo D is virtually cut off from the world and gets only sporadicnews about surviving friends and family.

Seeing old folk consigned to nursing homes is a reality that Fr. Uldarico “Dari” Dioquino has learned to accept, despite it being contrary to the much vaunted Filipino value of love and respect for the elderly."

I was asking Ate Marlet for suggestions on whom LA and I can extend our blessings. Kasi, gusto talaga namin na our wedding will not only be meaningful sa amin, friends and families. But especially to all those people na kelangan maging happy and feel na they are still important and loved. I gave her a list of possible "benefiaries" and she told me about Kanlungan. Sabi nya, "I wrote about them sa SIM. Read it and you'll know what I mean."

And yun nga, after I read about it. Di na ako nagdalawang isip. I called Kanlungan right away and inquired about their needs. When I told LA about it, nag try na agad kami mag hunt sa shopwise ng mga pwede namin ibigay sa kanila.

"Fortunately, Kanlungan gets help from volunteers from different private companies, caregiving schools and universities, and even ordinary individuals.The shelter has a regular staff of seven: one social worker, one cook, and five caregivers.The caregivers work almost round the clock, especially at night when they have to assist their wards in going to the bathroom.Father Dari says all of the staff have completed a caregiving course to help them better understand the needs of the old.There are also nurses who volunteer as part of their training.

The caregivers, who must take care not to get too attached to their wards lest they become affected when they pass away, must also contend with the quirks that accompany aging.“The old are quite sensitive,” says Fr.Dari.When they sense that you favor someone, they get jealous, he laughs.“When you give one a piece of chocolate, make sure everyone gets one as well, and of the same size.” - by Marlet Salazar, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, Dec. 14,08

Kaya yun budget namin na pambibili sana namin ng mga goodies as giveaways, and any other excess budget, we are planning to buy Ensure milk for our Lolos and Lolas at Kanlungan. Pillows, foods, vitamins and other things are most welcome too.

That's why we are extending to all our guests this "gift of chance to help our Lolos and Lolas". Sharing the blessings with them is the most special thanks we could ever give.

--------------------------------
Kanlungan ni Maria is located at
17 Lanzones Road, Nayong Silangan, Antipolo City.
Tel. No. 650-8102, mobile 0915-6002631.
Email: kanlungannimaria@yahoo.com

luminaries and some centerpiece

2009-08-13T03:25:00.001-07:00

Now I'm really confused on what to have for centerpiece. Kasi pwede mag go with the motif which is orange runners, flowers na orange and red and chocolate brown table napkins.

But I really love din yung white and yellow green motiff pagdating sa styling. Very clean, fresh and modern. This I have to decide soon para pag nag-ocular kami sa venue nila Kaye, we can finalize everything.

And I'm very lucky to have a very dear friend who can help me out with all the candles. She can even have them customized! May it be scented or citronella! I'm soooo grateful! Thanks Bhabet!!

I'm just looking for the final images as inspirations to send her para magawa na yun mga candles.

As for the other things, glass jars, cups.. etc na lang hunting ko sa mall at divisoria. Exciting! ^_^

wedding gown inspiration

2009-08-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

I texted Joey (Samson) if we can plan my wedding gown by October. He said ok.

Eh bakit naman sa October pa? Kasi... I'm planning to lose more weight!! Hahahah!

Ayun. I saw this picture sa isang forum and na-love at first sight talaga ako. Now, I'm pretty excited on how Joey will adapt this design. Wow! Naiisip ko pa lang, I can't hardly wait to see it na.. lalo na ang isuot eto. Hayy... I really love Joey's work, and with this one in mind and inspiration, what more could I ask for?

Right now, design inspirations naman para sa damit ng nanay at ni ma (mom ni LA) ang hinahanap ko.

Ayun!

Sana nga lang, by October, payat na ako. Heheheh! ^_^

we will bake.. the cupcakes!

2009-08-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Nag-iisip pa rin kami ng nanay kung ano ang ibibigay namin sa mga guests. Yun extra special. Sabi ko dapat something to do with the theme.

"Nay, di ba ang Kuya Ruel na ang mag-bake ng cake at mini-cakes for sponsors? Bakit di na lang tayo ang gumawa ng cupcakes??" tanong ko sa nanay.

"Eh di sige." sagot nya. "Kausapin na lang natin ang Ate Lina mo para mapahiram tayo ng gamit".

"Olrayt!" tuwa kong sabi.

Kaya ayun. Naghahanap ako ngayon ng design inspirations para sa cupcake giveaways namin. At tsaka, kung talagang makakita kami ng mura na jumbo strawberries, cupcakes at yun wedding berries ang tyatyagain naming gawin ng nanay, two days before the wedding. Hayyy.. sana di ako ma-stress! ^_^

monetary request for the guests

2009-07-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

We'll include this inside our invitations. Nag print ako ng around 200 pieces and cut out ko manually. Ang sakit ng kamay ko pagkatapos!! Pero oki lang, enjoy naman siya gawin at sulit ang kapalit ng pasakit! heheh! *crossing fingers!! ^_^

Caterer: K by Cunanan

2009-06-02T02:13:00.001-07:00

Pagkaing masarap!

That’s my weakness. At alam na alam ng bebi ko yan. Kaya sa food namin, we only want the best!

We have chosen K by Cunanan as our caterer simply because, “love namin ang food nya!” Also, may bonus factor pa kami cause she’s a caterer and an event stylist in one. Lalo na seeing the menu choices na something new, eh convinced us to have her talaga.

When we had our food tasting in Kaye’s house, nalungkot si LA kasi di sya nakakain ng marami. Malas kasi na masakit ang ngipin nya nung time na yun. Pero kahit na may toothache, sige pa rin ang kain. We were pretty excited nung nag-discuss na rin kami kay Kaye ng mga ideas namin sa wedding. Natuwa nga kami kasi ang cute daw nung wedding berries. Guess what, sa kanya pa nga namin nakuha yun suggestion na ang maging theme ng wedding eh “Game Over”, which is nice kasi yung ang catch line ng aming “save the date” invite.

Also, I appreciated Kaye more when one time, she called informing me na may nag-inquire daw sa kanya na same date and same venue namin. Having said that, I immediately called Moon Garden to confirm. Though ala pa official na booking na iba sa Moon, I am very thankful that Kaye did that. Kasi baka naging problem pa talaga kung sakali na makuha yun slot namin sa Moon.

Right now, we’re looking forward on our meetings with her where we’ll discuss further yun mga “pampaganda at decoration” na gusto namin to make Moon Garden more romantically rustic and a “place to remember”.

At syempre, yung next food tasting! Sana makapag-take out na kami this time, hehe. ^_^

kwento namin

2009-06-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Magka-klase kami sa UST. Block section sya nun, ako irregular kasi nag-shift ako from educ. I can still remember the first time I saw LA. I think, it was during the first week of class 1999 sa isa sa mga art subjects namin sa CFAD.

He had this “anime look” (jap style hair na till chin). Eh maputi at matangkad sya, so mukhang bishonen ang dating nya sa kin.. heheh. (fan pa naman ako ng anime.. until now ha?).

Busy kasi ako noon na nagsusulat nang di ko matandaang assignment sa notebook ko when I heard his “voice”. That voice na ang ganda-ganda talaga sa pandinig made me stop and looked at that side of the room. At nakita ko nga si “Mr. Bishie” reporting about something sa unahan, nakatingin sa index card sabay tingin sa buong class explaining what art is all about.

Ayun na. Though it was not love at first sight, I knew deep within me and my consciousness that this man will somehow be a part of my life. (Ganun ata ang nararamdaman pag nakita mo na ang soulmate mo.)

So to make the story short, naging close naman kami nung college. Considered friends, but our special “feelings” was developed during our senior year nung nag-thesis na kami. After graduation, sabay din kami nag-apply as artist sa may Ayala in Makati. Sabay kaming natanggap sa magkaibang ad agency. At dahil kami lang yun dalawang tao dun na magkakilala sa “a whole new professional world”, kami na rin yung laging nagkikita after office hours para magkwento ng nangyari sa maghapon. Sinusundo nya ako lagi at sabay naglalakad sa walkway ng Greenbelt papunta sa foodcourt ng Landmark para mag-dinner.

That special friendship started to grow everyday when suddenly, I was called by PDI. Tanggap na daw ako. Well that means, malalayo na ako sa kanya (feeling ang layo ng Ayala sa Chino Roces, hay). Heh, oo na.. alam nyo bang nahirapan din akong tanggapin yun work thinking di ko na makakasama si LA gabi-gabi (kasi iba na rin oras ng work ko).

Pero tama nga, destiny is destiny.

Nung nakatanggap ako ng free movie pass from SM, I decided to call LA at yayain sya manood ng sine (naks!). Nagkita nga kami, had dinner at watched movie. Pero alam nyo ba na bukod dun, may isang surpresang nangyari. May college classmate na nakakita sa amin at walang pakundangang nagtanong ng “Pare, kayo na ba? Ok ah!” And that was the opportunity LA was waiting for. Kaya ayun, nung kumakain kami sa Tokyo Tokyo, nagtanong nga sya sa akin “Eh, ano na nga ba?”

Sabi ko “Aba, ewan ko sa yo?” sabay dagdag “Wait three days, ok?”

So after three days, nag-mall kami ulit sa Robinsons Place Ermita, ibinili nya ako ng Sketchers, at nung pag-uwi namin sa apartment, tinanong nya ako ulit, “Ano na?”

“Aba’y, obvious ba? Ang ganda ng sapatos na bigay mo eh!” (Joke, syempre.. pakipot pa sana, pero di na ma-resist! Mahal ko na talaga ang mokong na ito eh.. Hahahah!)

So ayun, naging kami nun ala syete ng gabi ng Setyembre 21, 2003.

After nine months of working in PDI, nagkaroon ng opening job for an artist. Nag-apply si LA and luckily he was hired.

So ngayon, katulad nung Ayala days namin, sabay na ulit kami mag-dinner.

At di lang yan, pati na breakfast, lunch, meryenda at pati na rin sa pag-uwi. ^_^

fly me to the moon....

2009-05-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's where will have our reception. For further details, visit their website : http://mngrdn.multiply.com/

A preview of our invite

2009-05-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Yung dalawang makulit na wedding berries, (actually kami sila in real life) eh mangungulit sa loob ng invitation. Kaya, sa lahat ng makakatanggap nito invitation, get ready! ^_^

History: Bakit chuck taylors??

Una, kasi pareho kami mahilig sa chucks.

Pangalawa, yun chucks ko maluwag sa kin kaya hiniram lagi ni LA.

Pangatlo, pag gusto ko mag-chucks at gusto nya rin mag-chucks, ang ginagawa namin, yun isang pair eh share kami. Kanan sa kin, kaliwa sa kanya. Kahit pa sa office, ginagawa namin yan. Buti na lang, walang nakakapansin na magkaiba ang suot naming sapatos.

Tingin ko di naman bawal eh.. hehe. Sana nga lang walang makapansin. Baka makarating sa HR.. ^_^

Ginawa na rin namin ito minsan pag-lumalabas kami at namamasyal. Bukod pa ito sa ternong t-shirt para ok ang get-up. Madalas tuloy akala kambal kami. Ay oo! Magkamukha kami ni LA!! Lahat ng tao nagsasabi at lagi talaga kaming napapagkamalan na kambal. Dahil dito, minsan na akong nang good time sa mall at nung college! bwahahahah!

From church to moon

2009-05-12T21:41:00.001-07:00

Our 'dream team'

2009-04-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Gown Designer : Joey Samson
Entourage Couturier: Nancy dela Cruz
Wedding Cake : Dr. Ruel
Cupcakes: Piece of Cake
Main Photographer: Edwin Tuyay
Second Photographer: Arch. Edu Cortez
Videographer : Phoeben Teocson
Music : Concertino
OTD : Classic Unlimited
Bridal Car : Supplements and Special Sections
Caterer: K by Cunanan
HMUA : Val Villarin
Host: Libre Desk Editor Armin Adina

Ako ay...

2009-04-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Bridal Car: Supplement and Special Sections

2009-04-14T03:52:00.000-07:00

“Ang ganda talaga ng kotse ni Stephen ano?” sabi ni LA while doing inspection with the show car. Nagkataong naka-display noon ang Chrysler 300c nung minsang mamasyal kami sa Powerplant mall in Rockwell. “Stephen’s car” is how we call Chrysler 300c kasi una namin itong nakita sa isang Koreanovela where the protagonist named Stephen drives this car. Eversince, naging favorite na namin ang 300c.

Then one day, nakita naming naka tambay si 300c sa back parking lot ng PDI.

“Siguradong test drive yan. Ganda ano?” Sabi ko kay LA.

“Oo nga.. bibili din tayo nyan, hehe,” sagot niya sabay tawa.

“Oy Hatch, wag ka magtatampo ha? Ikaw pa rin first love namin,” dagdag pa niya habang kausap yung kanyang pulang Honda Hatchback.

Hindi ko na exactly matandaan, pero ang alam ko ay nakausap ni LA si Ate Tessa, motoring writer namin na usually nag-test drive ng mga kotse for Special Sections, that day. Alam din kasi ni Ate Tessa na mahilig kami sa cars ni LA (kaya nga lagi kaming naglalaro ng NFS sa PS2 at di nya ako matalo! Har! Har!). Tuwing may bago syang car na for test drive, sinasabi nya sa amin. and there are times na hinihingi nya rin ang aming opinion. That time nung andun si "Stephen", nasabi yata ni LA sa kanya na favorite car nya ang 300c at ang sarap daw sigurong sumakay dito. Kumbaga, mags pa lang, astig na. Paano pa kaya yun comfy features nito sa loob.

Months passed by. Last March 18, nakasalubong ko si Sir Aries (boss ko for five years sa Supplement Department at kasintahan ni Ate Tessa) sa may pantry. Lumapit ako sa kanya to greet him at alukin na rin ng food na handa ni Ms. Sandy (president ng company). I was in total shock when he suddenly told me this…

“Congratulations ha? Chrysler 300c? 300c. Ok na yan. We already reserved it for you on December. Kami ni Tessa magiging chauffeur nyo. As in, with complete uniform. Promise yan. We'll definitely be there." sabay shakehands at tapik sa balikat ko.

I was speechless for a moment at “Thank you sir!” lang yata ang nasabi ko. Hindi ko akalain! Super excited tuloy akong puntahan si LA at sabihin ang magandang surprise.

“Talaga??” gulat niya ring sabi.

“Yup bebi. Ngayon, makakasakay na rin tayo sa kotse ni Stephen!”

“Oo nga. At ibang klase pa lalo yun kasi we have the coolest chauffeurs on earth.”

Salamat talaga sa inyong dalawa! ^_^

On the Day Coordinator: Classic Unlimited

2009-04-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

“To OTD, or not to OTD? That is the question.”

Eto ang isang supplier na di namin talaga plan na magkaroon. Kasi nga, baka naman we can ask a friend or relative to do this task for us. But when we discovered na sila Val at Chris (sisters ni LA) had an OTD on their wedding, napag-isip tuloy kami. Akala namin, wala silang OTD during their wedding and we have no idea what OTD is all about. Isipin nyo yun, ang alam lang namin suppliers for weddings eh photographer at videographer, na iba-iba pa pala yun nag work to "make a wedding"..hehehe.. at “suppliers” pala ang tawag sa kanila. So, after Worm (friend ni Val) convinced us na we should get one, we started looking for an OTD. When we attended the wedding expo, isa na sila sa mga booth na pinuntahan namin. Kaya lang nahilo kami. Di namin alam kung sino sa kanila ang ok talaga. Unlike photographers or caterers, kita mo na agad ang setup at sample works nila while OTDs, di mo talaga malalaman how they work until wedding day. So I told LA na we really should research about this, or maybe someone could recommend.

Isa sa mga importanteng natutunan ko sa forum at groups on looking for an OTD is, dapat, “click” kayo agad. Kasi nga, sa kanila mo ipagkakatiwala ang ikagaganda, ikaaayos at ikatatagumpay ng iyong kasal.

Buti na lang, may isa akong supplier na nag-recommend at nagbigay ng contact sa kin ni Ms. Janice. So I texted her for an inquiry. When she replied and told me that we can discuss things over the phone after my office hours, nag-look forward talaga ako.

When she texted me if I’m ok na around 7pm, I was surprised na parang nakikipag-usap ako sa isang kaibigan na matagal ko nang kakilala. Kahit na that was the first time, magaan na agad yung loob ko sa kanya. Bukod pa dun, she even adviced me agad regarding what should I consider and ask our “prospect” reception venue. That coming weekend kasi, we will have an ocular sa isang garden reception. Thank goodness at nakausap ko si Janice. She really enlightened and help us a lot.

I even made kulit pa nga sa kanya regarding our downpayment. (Gusto ko na talaga syang ma-booked eh) at salamat talaga because she’s very understanding.

Right now, we’re confident na we’re in good hands and that our wedding would be fun, fine and furrrfecct because she will be there. Hay, makakatulog na kami ng maayos. ^_^

Videographer: Phoeben Tecson

2009-04-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

“Hello, si Alizza po eto. Is Phoeben Teocson there? I would like to inquire po ng wedding packages and availability..”

“Ala dito si Kuya Bim” sabi nun bata.

“Ah ganun ba, sige, salamat.. babay!” sabi ko. At nagbaba na rin ng telepono yun bata.

Teka, tama ba yun tinawagan ko? “Bin” nga ba yun sabi ng bata? “Pibin” ba dapat, hindi “Piben” yun pronounciation ng name nya? That was what happened nun nag try ako first time to call Phoeben for inquiry. Kala ko talaga nagkamali ako. Yun pala, Phoeben’s nickname is Bim (na confirm ko eto through our OTD and Atty.) Kaya ang ginawa ko na lang muna was to inquire through text. It was a relief nung malaman ko na open pa sya ng December 11th.

Actually, our choices for videographers are Jason Magbanua and Bob Nicolas. Jason is available on December 8th and not on the 11th kaya ayun, di na kami nag push through. With Bob Nicolas naman, the spot is still open. Pero dumating na rin sa point na we have to consider (ulet!) yun budget namin. So, atras ulit idea on hiring Bob. Kaya todo research ulit to find someone who’ll perfectly describe us through video. At yun nga, Bim’s name appeared. When I saw his onsites and imagined how it will be like kung kami na andun, eh na-convinced kami. His angles, the drama, perspective and style. Sya na yun hinahanap namin.

So, after learning na available pa sya ng 11th, I texted him and asked if he’ll be joining the wedding expo na pupuntahan namin para ma-ayos na yung reservation. After the inquiry in wedding expo, we decided that we’ll go back the next day to settle it (di kasi kami nagdala ng malaking cash), pero di naman kami nakabalik. Kaya I requested Bim through text if he can extend the promo until Tuesday. Good thing he agreed (bait nya!). With that, lalo naming sya na appreciate.

Talagang hinabol ni LA yun 3pm deadline ng BPI para lang ma-deposit ang DP namin nung Tuesday. As in 2:55 pm yata nya na-deposit yun. Sabi nya, “Di bale magtatakbo papunta bangko, si Bim naman ang magbi-video.”

And that night, we visited Bim’s site (again), watched his onsites and imagined ourselves once more what would it be like if it’s already our turn to be captured by his widescreen camera.

Music: Concertino

2009-04-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

Nag-browse ako sa W@W group. Searching for a possible “music” supplier. Hay, ang daming choices! My first choice was Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Nakita namin sila ni LA sa isang wedding expo. Initial reaction ng bebi ko, “Mahal ata.. ipod na lang??” sabay tawa. “Nyeeee!” sagot ko. Kaya naghanap ako sa wedsite kung sino pwede na carry ng budget at malapit sa “ipod” ni LA. At nakita ko nga na maganda ang reviews ng group ni Toks of Concertino. So, I called him, asked for the rate and he suggested to have a meeting the next day. We met sa office and I listened to their repertoire. I really like their style. The quartet consists of guitar, violin, keyboard, and percussion.

Pero nag-isip pa rin ako kung kukuha talaga kami ng music supplier. Kasi yun nga, limited budget namin at may Ipod naman kami. Kaya lang, when I imagined that our wedding will not be complete unless there’s music, na kung pwede nga lang talaga na ako na yung tumugtog ng piano to make it more romantic and meaningful, I decided to booked them na.

What I like about Toks’ group is that they are willing to study the songs we want even if it is not in their repertoire. Plus, when we are discussing the plan on the ceremony song, at he described how they will execute it, I know we found the best “music” group for us. I want to surprise LA. And I know Toks will be able to do that. Sana di nya mabasa ng bebi etong blog ko.. hehehe…

Photographer: Raymond Fortun

2009-04-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Atty. Raymond Fortun. Sino ang mag-aakala na makulit pala sya? Aba, kahit ako hindi ko akalain. Hehe. (Hi atty! ^_^) Lalo na he loves capturing wedding moments through his lens.

According to him, nagback-up siya sa mga main photographers noon just to unleash this passion in wedding photography. Nalaman ko na he’s into this sa isang forum na pinupuntahan ko. Curiosity yun nagtulak sa kin to look at his works. Kami kasi ni LA, we’re both in love with photography and whenever we hear a person who’s so passionate about it, we can’t stop ourselves na alamin ang mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa kanya. So yun nga, I visited his multiply account and saw his works.

What’s our verdict upon seeing his collection? I think its enough to say na di ko sya tinigilan at tinapatan ang kanyang kakulitan para lang maawa sya sa amin at tanggapin ang alok na siya ang kumuha ng mga photos ng aming kasal. As in email ako agad sa kanya kung available pa sya ng December 8 (yun una naming plan date, at take note, mabilis sya nag-reply). Pero nalungkot ako nung malaman ko na he’s already booked on that day.

Kaya sabi ko sa follow-up emails, “How about December 9? Ala pa po sa calendar nyo oh?”

Eh nag-iisip pa rin siya kasi madami na siyang booking for December. Kawawa din naman kasi sobra siya mapapagod sa sunod-sunod na work at syempre, may iba pa sya work at yun time nya rin for his family. Kaya nag-huling hirit ako. As in crossing finger, hoping to convince him one last shot.

Sabi ko, “Alam mo atty., exciting yun plan namin for prenup. Ala “cast away” gimik yun at tuloy picnic na rin dun sa isang isolated island na may abandoned resthouse. Ganda ng sunset dun, pati rock formation at white sands. Pero ok lang kung di ka talaga pwede.. We understand… “

At nag-reply siya right after that email saying “Ok, I’ll be your main photographer and I will shoot that fabulous fabulous prenup.. deal?”

Pagkabasa ko nun, inulit ko pa talaga ng ilang beses just to make sure. Masaya talaga ko noon, di pa nga ako agad makapaniwala eh. Thank heavens! Kaya ala na ko patumpik-tumpik pa. “Of course! Of course! Deal!!!!!”

Then the next day we saw our names dun sa calendar nya. Alam nyo ba na nag goosebumps talaga ako. (No kidding!) Seeing “Mistades-Butiong Nuptial” there brought tears of joy and happiness in my heart. Finally, official na talaga yun wedding namin.

So eto yung “reaction” at “say” namin sa works nya. Ganon lang naman namin sya nagustuhan. Ganon lang.

*By the way, for my W@Wie sis, after that, we had conflict on December 9th and moved our wedding to December 11th. I think kayo yun sabi ni Atty. sa min na nag inquire sa 9th so we told him na stick na kami sa new sched. ^_^

Wedding Cake: Our dear Uncle, Kuya Ruel

2009-04-13T04:42:00.001-07:00

Alam ni LA kung gaano ako kahilig sa sweets at breads. Madalas nga na niyaya ko sya mag-mall pag nag-crave ako ng Brazo de Mercedes o kahit na anong pastry. Siguro dala na rin eto ng fact na I grew up in a bakery owned by my Wawa (kapatid ng lolo ko sa tatay). “Laking Tinapay”, ika nga. So, breads, cakes and pastries are part of me (kahit di ako marunong gumawa ng mga ito.. ^_^) Kaya naman our wedding cake should be extra special. Dapat di lang sya masarap na chocolate, strawberry and orange flavor with melted mallows, creamy fudge and candy sprinkles, dapat meaningful din sya. And the only way to achieve this is having someone dear to us make our cake.

Kaya naisip namin ang Kuya Ruel (siya yun son ng Wawa, uncle ko, who continued his love for breads and pastries by creating them). So ayun, nung nakausap ko sya sa phone, tinanong ko kung pwede ba sya ang gumawa ng cake namin. And he said "oo naman!" right away. Nag-suggest pa nga na email ko agad yun style at flavor na gusto namin. Kahit ano daw pwede kaya sobra kami happy. Gaano kaya kataas papagawa namin? Two floors??? Joke lang po! Hehehe...

Kuya Ruel is the owner of Key’s Kitchen, a "Chinoy" restaurant that caters sumptuous Filipino-Chinese cuisine in the heart of Nasugbu, Batangas. The place is great for functions with delicious variety of menu to choose from.

Gown Designer : Joey Samson

2009-04-13T02:20:00.002-07:00

Ayun, eh di nalaman nga nga dito sa department namin (Marketing) na may plan na kami “magpasakal” ni LA. Kasi, si Ms. Roselle (senior product manager) nakwento nya sa akin na maganda yung Mary the Queen church. Kaya tinanong ko siya about some details (pa simple pa ha para di makahalata), kaya lang nahulaan pa rin na may plan na kami ng bebi ko. Kaya during our Marketing Planning sa pantry, bigla syang nagbigay ng announcement regarding our upcoming event. November 21 pa ang target date namin noon, but we learned na sasabay pala siya sa AdCongress. Syempre, di pede yun kasi super busy kami sa mga panahon na yun. Kaya sabi ko, most probably ma-move na sometime in December. Then Ms. Jocel (my boss), asked me na dapat kasama sa entourage and daughter nya and I agreed. Sinabihan ko na rin si Mundi na kukunin ko sya host/entourage na rin. (Sana maalala nya yun pag nabasa nya to.. Hi Mundi!!! Thank you!! *_*)

At ilang araw nga ang lumipas after nun "informal announcement", nag-text si Ms. J kay Joey Samson, asking if he can make my gown . Ayun, he replied and told her na I can visit his shop anytime. Salamat mam! ^_^

Nakilala namin si Joey during our first fashion show (Inquirer Lifestyle Fitness.Fashion) held last July in Peninsula Manila. He's really kind plus I really really love his works! Kaya nga nung nag text ako sa kanya and told him about our budget restrictions, I'm in total relief when he told me na basta mag-set ako ng budget and we’ll work from that. Thanks Joey! We're really looking forward on visiting you soon! Excited na ako mag plan and see your sketches for my gown! ^_^

San Antonio de Padua Quasi Parish

2009-03-25T21:58:00.001-07:00

So ayun. After namin mag usap tungkol sa kung san ba talaga namin gusto magpakasal, napagkasunduan naming mag bestfriend na sa Tagaytay na lang. Aba, baket? Kasi, at least yun Tagaytay eh asa gitna ng Maynila at Batangas. To be fair to both parties, ika nga. ^_^

Kaya nag research ako sa internet kung anu simbahan maganda. Malabo na kasi yun Caleruega at Chapel on a Hill kasi fully booked na. 6pm na lang available, eh baka naman di na kami magkakitaan nun kasi madilim na rin nun, at we really reaaaallly love to have our wedding in the afternoon kasi first love namin ang sunset. Kaya dapat, ever present si "sunset" sa kasal namin. Isa sya sa aming VIP. I also made a reservation in Madre de Dios Chapel in Tagaytay Highlands. Original date pa ng wedding namin nun is December 8 para Immaculate. Kaya lang when we saw the package, di carry ng budget. So, pinalipas namin yun isang linggong palugit ng Highlands for our "temporary" reservation. Mabigat din sa loob, love din kasi namin yung Madre de Dios.

Hanggang nakita ko nga sa isang blog ang we think is our "Wedding Church Destiny". Ang San Antonio de Padua Quasi. Ewan ko ba, when I saw the pictures, parang na mesmerize talaga ako sa kanya. Kaya email ko agad si LA, kinulit ko talaga ng todo. "What do you think? What do you think? Dyan na lang? Dyan na lang!!"

Pinatawagan ko agad sa kanya si Danny (yun contact person ng SAdP). Sabi ko, "Bebi, tawagan mo naman si Danny, tanong mo kung ok pa yun December 8, tapos reserve mo na. Sige na, kaw na tumawag. Long distance yan eh, mas madami ka namang load sa akin.. hehehe.."

Buti nalambing ko, kaya ayun, tinawagan nya nga. Malas lang, yun December 8 pala, fiesta dun kaya hindi pwede. Kaya sabi ko kay LA... "Bebi, sa Friday, puntahan natin si Danny, maghahanap tayo ng ibang araw!!!!"

Kaya yun nga, nag leave ako from work (Friday and Saturday kasi off ni LA, ako Saturday and Sunday). Pinuntahan namin si Danny.

Ang ganda ng church!!!!

Lalo kami na in-love ni LA sa kanya! Asa bukid sya! Yun feeling parang asa Batangas din kami pero ang totoo asa Tagaytay! Shoot! Perfect!

So ayun, meet namin si Danny. Eh, ma-kwento din naman pala eto, kaya andami naming nalaman tungkol sa San Antonio. At to our luck, oki yun December 11 (Friday). Ala sila mass pag Friday kaya we can stay till 5pm. Kaya, booked agad!

Picture picture pa kami bago umalis at nagpaalam sa church sabay sabi na "we shall return!"

Nun asa car na kami papunta Tagaytay para maghanap naman ng reception venue, nagtanong ako bigla..

"Teka, bakit nga pala December 11? Anu meaning nun?"

"Oo nga? Ano nga ba?" sabi ni LA. "Para ba open pa slot ni Atty. Fortun?"

"Ah, di lang yun.," sabi ko, "at least kasing-araw natin kasal ng tatay at nanay ko, 11 din sila. Tapos birthday ni Dad mo, 11 din. yun pamangkin ko birthday din 11. At yun nga.. open pa si Atty."

And we both agreed that December 11th is our destined wedding date. ^_^

Save the Date!

2009-03-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Our "Save the Date" invites. LA giggled when he saw this. He has no idea that I'm doing this invites. He said "that's exactly who we are.."

Right after I got the "approval" from LA to send this to friends, I emailed our suppliers.

Atty. Fortun, our photographer immediately replied "Ang cutieeeee!! hahaha patay kayo sa amin ni Bim :P" (Phoeben Teocson is our videographer, by the way.."

I told him that as early as today, LA and I are trying to drain all the "hiya". The truth is, we're not comfortable being the "photo subjects". Maybe that's the result of our fascination with photography. "We love photography but we're not ready yet to be the subject of our passion".

Well, Atty... bear with us! ^_^