Denise Katipunera

Shop Update

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:52:01 PDT

after weeks of attempt, i finally updated my shop today. woohoo!

Can I interest you to a very hairy sweater? yes? ...if you like stylish sweater and dresses, shop them HERE

Thrift Confessions - Texier Leather Bag

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:07:56 PDT

If you're going to invest in a bag - make it A Have-It-Forever Leather Bag. But good leather bags are expensive and there is no way I can afford that now. But sometimes you just get lucky, if yah know what I mean?

Okay, here's a story.

Two months ago I saw this beautiful, creamy-soft bucket bag from the thrift store I frequent. It took my breath away like a punch in my stomach. The good kind of punch. That kind of pressure that makes you all giddy up and imagine yourself carrying that bag anywhere. For the first time this year I know I "needed" that bag. So i inspected it and it's perfect. No scratch anywhere, it is perfect. Twice perfect! Usually, thick leather bags are heavy but this one feels like a feather. The brand said "Texier" and I have no idea about that brand. The asking price was 700php.Wow! it was a little expensive when it's supposed to be a thrift right. Yah know what I mean ladies and gentlegays? So I made my peace to say goodbye to it for a while and maybe, just maybe, after a month if the bag is still hanging up there on it's pedestal, then maybe it's meant for me to take it home.

Fast forward to a month later, (and i know, you know, it's a good happy story right?) it is still hanging up there. (Im going for the kill) With 700 pesos in my hand i marched my thrifty bum inside the store heaving a sigh of relief that that beautiful bag is meant for me. The thrift lady said "300 ate, sale kami". Nothing registered inside my braid, I just stared at her. All the while I was whoohoo-ing inside. Playing along, I pushed my luck to 250php. (it's just a barter trick you need to master when you thrift- always ask for a lower price) She rolled her eyes and pretend to think. ( I know she's just pretending, it's a sales technique - HA HA!) And then she said yes. We both smiled and sealed the deal. Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! I finally have a Texier leather bucket bag. Yah feel me?

...seriously...

...the best thing about leather bags, is that they get better over time. The oils in our hand make it look better, but you wouldn't see that effect if the bag were black. A classic shape and practical size is important, but in the end, it's all about the color. I love camel and brown hues on bag. Black is a classic, but I prefer camel leather. Especially this one, the amazing looking beat-up brown leather from Texier. It sure is versatile too. You can easily wear it with everything, from pastels to neon. You can mix camel with just as many colors as you would with black.

So, tell me, have you had any luck with thrift leather bags recently?

ps,
here's another thrift camel bag I have

Sometime Last Week...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:13:33 PDT

Whenever i hear or read or watch someone talk about how being a mother is the most difficult job of all the lahlahland...eh.. Im not sure if i can agree to that. Lemme tell yah mah friends - motherhood isn't easy and also not that difficult. Did I confuse you? Sometimes a day goes by without any difficulty, without tantrums, without crying. It's one of the easy, blissful days when my baby like to exercise his legs and walk on his own like he's been walking forever. He sits on the grocery cart so well-behaved and not once did he pick any item to throw in other people's basket or hold on to a bag of candy and not squeal the moment i take it away. It's a oh-happy-day day when he takes a scheduled nap at the middle of the day. That means no grumpy baby, early bed time and you're sure to wake up to a smiling toddler the next morning. Also it sure is a sign of a great day when your toddler kisses you full on the lips early in the morning without even asking for it. Awesome easy day fow-shoo. You see, on those days motherhood for me is easy. You just cannot help but tell yourself over and over again "how easy is this huh!". The house is calm. Even my hair isn't freezy. Seriously, my hair can tell you the condition of our mother and son state of calamity/calm-ity. Just like today. Yllac let me take a full bath. The whole deal - scrub, shampoo and conditioner. No banging on the bathroom sliding door. And yesterday, while we were out in a restaurant he was just sitting the whole meal. Just sitting and eating. No need to rush and bring us all the food, appetizers, main courses and desserts all of the same time. It was the most peaceful day of my life.

Easy. lemme. tell. yah..

But of course, there's always a difficult day.

So...

Lemme tell yah how our day went a week ago...

cant believe I am actually saying and admitting this..It.was.hellish! My boy woke up really really mad. He was not interested on his breakfast. But insist on eating stick-o. Just stick-o. He doesn't wanna take a bath. He doesn't want his head scrubbed. Not interested in brushing his teeth. Does not want to wear pants. At this point, it is clear to me that he hates me. I really don't know why. So I took him out. We went to the playground. But the ground was wet. He kicked and cried all the more going back to the car. We were both sticky and hungry so we stopped at our usual coffee house. Have I told you that he cried and screamed at my ear on the way to the coffee house? Yup! My boy sure know how to speak his mind. And he made sure to let everyone inside the restaurant hear his angry thoughts towards me. Anyway, you ever dream of yourself without any clothes on -real naked and everyone's eyes on you but you're fully aware that it's just a dream but still it feels real embarrassing? Carrying a crying baby with everyone's eyes on you feels like that. But this is real and there's no way to convince yourself that it's just a dream. There's no waking up. My kid is screaming and I don't have the energy to go back to the car, buckle him up and hide back inside our home forever. It's too late buddy i kept telling myself. It took us 5 minutes to fully calm down. Seriously, the looooooongest five minutes of my life. And I don't kid. And this was a true story of my life last week. For half a day sometime last week motherhood was soooooo difficult and physically challenging. But you know what, it's okay to ask for extra assistance and help from strangers. They will always understand your situation. I realized that people are kinder to moms with toddlers. And they easily give you a helping hand even if you didn't ask them. All you need to do is smile at them and apologize for the craziness of your present situation. Because with a feisty toddler at hand the mood can change easy from shrieking to whining to full smiles and cooperation. You just need to hope and say silent prayers to angels near you to please please please magically tickle your baby's mood. And sometime later that coffee date Yllac turned cheerful and curious and calm. I finally enjoyed my food while he explored the place. And did I tell you even though Yllac was so upset, when I asked him to pray when the food arrived, he prayed on cue. With eyes open. I consider this cute moments as my light at the end of the tunnel. Because it is a sparkle of little light of a bad sour day.

...and then whatdahyahknow? I got a bonus. BAM! and just like that he was out. He slept from 5 in the afternoon till the next day. Talk about best day eeeeever!

So what I'm trying to say is, motherhood is neither easy and difficult. It was the best. It is full of everything. It is the best ride of your entire life. It makes you so dizzy from so many ups and downs and it makes you grateful for the chance. Today is a great day. Yllac was in a karaoke mood. Singing a lot of songs I've never heard before and it sounds so sweet. Today is sweet. Tomorrow is a surprise. We'll see.

A Black Dress Made From Netherlands...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:20:25 PDT

I thrifted this dress early this year. (Like duh, Denise. People know your clothes are always from thrift) It has no tag so I can't tell the brand but there's a little tag on the left side of the dress that says "dry clean only" and that it was made from Netherlands. But it was too late because I already hand-washed it and yeah, again, let me tell yah - it's made from Netherlands. Honestly I don't know where Netherlands is. Maybe somewhere near Narnia and Hogwarts. But whatevs. It sounded like a magical place, that's why this dress is magical too.

dress: thirft

heels: Gojane

bag: Coach from my Mom

Yllac and Me on Mother's Day 2013

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:00:58 PDT

First of all, Happy Mother's day to my mom and Jayson's Mom - the two most wonderful women in our lives. Thank you Moms for setting a beautiful example for us each day while we were growing up and up till now. You're both our strength. Thank you so much. And of course Happy Mother's day to you and to your mom too and to all moms. Yay! It sure feels good that the whole world is celebrating us. Hooray for Moms!

Just wanted to share these photos of us yesterday on the playground. I mean, It was supposed to be "my day", but it's impossible to drag this toddler of mine to come with me and buy something nice for myself in the mall. Toddlers do not understand the concept of retail therapy, lemme tell yah

So with coins in my pocket we went to the playground and got crazy-hyper trying on every slide, see-saw, swing and monkey bar like it's the end of the world. Seriously with toddlers and playground, they looooooove it like it's the end-of-the-world, like there's no tomorrow. You know what I mean? After a million times of going up and down from that slide, and those never ending pushing and pulling Yllac's weight on the see-saw and chasing after this baby of mine, oh boy, oh boy, Im panting like an old dog who's just delivered twelve little puppies or something. My whole body is aching and so is my bad right knee. Imagine my relief when the ice cream cart finally came. Yllac ran towards it like his legs are gonna fall off and treat ourselves some ice cream. We finally sat our butts on the grass and took a break from all the playing. The ice cream was so good....soooo good that Yllac stole mine too. Seriously, it was the cheapest date of my life! And the most tiring date of my life too. At the end of the day we were both super sticky but it was good.

For me, this is motherhood. If it means to play all day like this, then I've never wanted anything so much in my life. I love this gig. This is for me. This boy is my life.

I hope you had an awesome mother's day celebration too. Hope you got treated to a lot of hugs and kisses and massage and sleep maybe? Happy Mother's Day!

ps,

Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:31:14 PDT

...I would never have thought it possible, but i love him more today than the day he was born. ...the kind of love that grows each day. If you know what i mean...

I am a mom first and I do have so many sideline activities after that. I do enjoy my sideline projects, silly or not. And sometimes It’s easy to forget what is most important in my life. I need to remind myself everyday that my family is the most important thing in my life. I’m discovering how to appreciate what I have in each moment, and not mourn for what I don't have. I used to hate those election jingle trucks before. Seriously, they all sound bad. But lo and behold, Yllac loves them. It's his jam. You should see my boy groovin' his bum to each jingle. Each time they pass by our home everything I do stops for a minute because Yllac would run to me, hold my hand and jump, wave his hands, dance and stomp his feet to the beat. Oh. My. Heart! I am just glad he needed me and likes me as his dance partner. Not to toot my own horn, but I think, he thinks I am a good dancer. One day soon he won't need me as much as now. That's what I have now and that's what I need.

Happy Mother's day fellow moms and to all mom figures out there. Enjoy this day. Wishing you love and happiness and appreciation. You rock Mommas!

Orange Floral and Silver Heels...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:32:34 PDT

I guess this dress deserves a proper blog post other than this. Thanks Yllac.

...and I think silver heels looks good worn with every color. It shines oh so good paired with neutrals and in solid colors too. This gojane silver kitten heels that I got for less than 20$ last year is groovin' and rockin' the shoe trend this year. I mean it's cheap, it's fun and surprisingly a whole lot versatile. I bought one in gold too. But between silver and gold, silver is a more subtle metallic color. Gold is too much "out there", if you know what i mean. Even in jewelry, i prefer silver than gold. Mind you, gold does not agree with my sweat. Ew and TMI.

dress: thrift
heels: gojane
bag: charles and keith

Making Lunch With Yllac...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:57:47 PDT

Not really a cooking challenge but it sure is challenging to work your way in the kitchen with a toddler whose very much intention is to help you out. Especially with the stirring. Oh the stirring...Mothers, Yah feel me?

So this is lunch. The easiest and fastest lunch I can cook these days. There's serving of vegetable and meat from the can. I guess that's healthy enough for me and gourmet looking ei? C'mon, anything with garlic and olive oil is gourmet for me. Well that's just me.

Any Mamas out there reading this? How do you work your way in your kitchen with your kids tugging your leg all day?

ps,

The easiest Brussels sprout recipe you can make.

If You Want My Only Parenting Advice I Can Think Of Now...Here It is

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:41:19 PDT

For me, it is just simple really. But true. I mean the absolute truth. You know what fellow moms and dads... kids don't need a lot of stuff to be happy. I have finally understood that now...

If you ask any new parent what they want for their kids? maybe 11 out of 10 parents would say - I just want my baby to be healthy and happy. I am pretty darn sure that all parents want that. But most of us don't know how to do that exactly. As a mom, I am still learning each day how to make my son a happy toddler. Even before Yllac was born we have prepared ourselves to provide every single thing our child might need. Just like any parent, I want him to have the best of everything. And then he was born and as he grew bigger we were excited to play with him with all the toys we assumed he would like. He liked them alright but between the toy and the box of the toy, (you guessed it right, high five!) he was more interested to the box of the toy. The car keys provide a lot of entertainment to him for longer periods of time than his rattle. He likes to chomp the tv remote rather than his teether. Mommies who read this, yah feel me?

And right now, just like any toddler Yllac is obsessed with parks or any place he can go, run and explore. Absolutely for free. He's so happy here. If he's happy, then I am happy too.

As I recall now, all I can remember about my childhood are the times when I'm with my parents. I don't remember much, but when I do, it's always with my family. I will never forget when my Dad used to visit me in school when I was in kindergarten. I will always remember those afternoons we spent at my dad's farm. My mom and I sharing a sour green mango. Our eyes twitching. My brother and me playing hide and seek and jumping into the next river with the carabaos. I always remember vividly our family dinners, the four of us together sitting in one table and talking and laughing. I remember that one night we went to Luneta park. We rode a jeepney on the way there and ate our hotdogs on a stick. I also remember crying and being upset but I don't remember why? Honestly I don't remember much about my toys. But I do remember one toy. It was a wooden gun toy my dad made for me. Yup, I am not much of a doll-girl then.

Maybe what Im trying to say here,( if you would take my advice ) is that, kids don't need a lot of fancy things, toys or clothes. They don't care about those. All they care about is us giving our lives to them. Spend time with them and play. Real play. Run along with them, slide with them, sit on the ground with them. After all, those are the things they will surely remember and keep to the heart as they grow up.

Parks are free (yay!) and as long as Yllac wants it here, then to the park we go. Everyday.

And if someday, Yllac asks for a SEGA or ATARI, or whateveryoucallit kids wants these days, then maybe I've saved up enough from not buying so much ~~shit~~ toys he didn't need anyway.

Can I ask you how often you go to the park with your little ones? They just love it there don't they?

ps,

I can explain my dress and my heels. c",) I seriously don't go parking with my toddler looking like this. I need to look extra fancy here because this mama needs to look fancy to our fancy anniversary dinner a couple of days ago. When I say fancy, it's an opposite for jollibee dinner and shorts and tees. Yah feel me? So yeah, we're all sticky and real hungry just in time for our dinner.

Walking...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 05 May 2013 03:35:43 PDT

...yesterday we walked around all day holding hands.( i love that he like holding-hands with me) He was grabbing on to my finger and he was leading me. More like Yllac was walking me.

For the past two weeks i put off blogging for a while. My mind is somewhere else, my body is somewhere else. So much far away from the computer.

I have so many things to share to you, but first of all i want you to know that there will be changes on this blog. Id like to think that it is a good change. I am happy to be blogging for this long. I am grateful for this opportunity to sit in front of my computer and talk. Mostly nonsense. But i am glad and relieved and it's a miracle you never got bored. And I am a lucky gal because I have you as a friend here. You've seen a lot of changes as we (jayson and i) grew older and mature - first as a couple and now as a parent. Id like to think, maybe you're still here because we ( you and i) kind of grew old together too??? Yikes! Can you believe how much we've grown after all these years?

I am a mother now and all i can ever talk about is my boy and my toddler and my toddler boy. Can you tell me what did we used to talk about before i became a mom? I know! i started this blog a long time ago for different reasons than those today. People change, they grow up. Interests change. Priorities change. I changed over the years a lot and so naturally so did my blogs focus. And I am glad you're still here. And that my friend is all I am thankful for.

Thank you for riding along with us.
See you next week.
Have a blessed Sunday everyone.

Consider This Post My Retirement From Wearing Skirts...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:00:15 PDT

Oh boy! Oh boy! You know you're in that "terrible two" phase when your two year old won't listen to you about hiding in your skirt, of all places - in PUBLIC!

where is Yllac???

This is a gorgeous dress. A perfect dress when you want to look a little extra chic compared to wearing your usual mommy uniform of fancy colored or printed pants and shirt. In short, I do like this dress. And so does Yllac. I don't know why really? Maybe this dress looks like a curtain to him? Because he likes to hide behind our curtain when we play hide and seek at home. I seriously don't know what's going on inside the head of a two year old. Even with my two year old son. Like two Saturdays ago, we were at the park, all of a sudden like I was being attacked, he ran towards me, lifted up my skirt and hid inside my dress. And giggling the whole time like I was a big toddler-joke. Like Elmo exactly. All I do that day was to keep him away from my skirt. But you know, being a terrible two, he did not back down. He kept on attacking me. Funny....but really embarrassing. Since there is no way we can convince him to-not-do-that-to-mommy-please, we just let him do his thing. Embarrassment aside, it was fun. We all got a laugh about it. So after a good 5 minutes under my skirt or so, he then got bored and left me alone. Oh thank God. c",)

Oh gosh Yllac, your Daddy and I love you. You make our life terribly full of laughter and i love being your Mom. c".)

So hello! hello! hello! to all mommies out there! What does your terrible-two do that makes you so crazy? The make us crazy don't they? .

Easiest Brussels Sprout Recipe

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:04:45 PDT

This week our family was out most of the day. So our easiest go-to meal, you guessed it, is fast-food - cheap, greasy and probably 75% unhealthy. Seriously, if 75% of the food you take is unhealthy, it just kills the healthy 25%. So let's settle then, fast food = 100% unhealthy. But they taste sooooo good. We ate lots of burger + fries, all things fried, ice cream and tried different shakes. Lotsa sugar there baby! Best.Week. Ever. But fast food isn't your body's best friend. That, we all know. I know. And today, we're lucky to stay home. So I whip up the healthiest meal of our week. People of the internet, say hello to my Brussels Sprouts In Garlic Butter.

You'll need:

Brussels Sprouts, halved

little butter

little olive oil

lots of garlic

salt and pepper

!. Melt butter and cook sprouts cut side down in low heat. Don't burn. Just give it a little toast.

2. Remove sprouts and discard.

3. Cook the garlic in little olive oil until lightly brown.

4. Pour in the sprouts together with the garlic. Let it cook until the sprouts are tender.

5. The cut side of the sprouts should get nice and browned, with a nutty, buttery flavor enhanced by garlic.Top with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Did I say it's the easiest super healthy healthy meal you can prepare in a short period of time? It is! And it's very yummy. Have fun cooking this healthy and yummy recipe at your home.

ps,

i thought brussels sprouts are baby cabbages. But it's not. It's nice to know now.

5 Years People! 5 Years!!!!

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:46:38 PDT

If you thought i was screaming when I said "5 years people, 5 years!!!!" YES, I was in fact screaming it to the world because today is our big fat 5 year wedding anniversary. 5 WHOLE YEARS! I cannot believe it. I remember everything like it was yesterday. I remember, it was a hot, humid summer day. I ditched my "wedding jacket" because it was soooo hot. I remember telling Jayson "next time we get married, we married on December". I remember feeling so excited and nervous and I cannot stop laughing at everything - at myself and everyone who greets me. Like, duh! Crazy bride. I perfectly remember how much i hate wearing those fake eyelashes and took the tiara off my head before the ceremony. They are heavier than my dress. Both the tiara and my eyelashes. I remember when it was time for the ceremony to begin, I was freaking nervous about walking down the aisle with everybody's eyes on me thinking why did I ever get married???? I remember hurting my cheeks for smiling so big. I remember crying at the same time. I remember tasting the best squash soup ever in my entire life. I remember all those faces who celebrated with us. And I remember Jayson mostly. When he took my hand and he whispered "yey" to me i knew my life is gonna be awesome. Awesome like, here I am with the person I like the most and Im gonna live my life with him. Forever. Till I die. Share everything with him. Every stories, pain, joy, family, food, money, bedroom, toothpaste, grievances, dreams, problems, gossip....everything. And I will never be alone.

I first met Jayson twenty years ago. Jayson was my high school classmate for two years. We barely talked. But I remember his smile. I remember every morning he would call me and say "hi denise" and Id say "hi jayson" back. That hi denise-hi jayson thing between us went on for two years. I remember we were both 13 years old and I know he likes me but he never said anything about it. He's always shy and reserved. Who would have thought that i would marry that boy who greets me every morning in high school? My high school classmate, now my funny husband with a good heart, who is sometimes my archenemy but is always always my best friend and admirer.

So today, my dear darling husband, let's get out and eat some real fat barbeque ribs. I love you Jayson, like i love my ribs.

Happy 5 years!

Last Week...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:30:11 PDT

last week...oh, last week was kind of slow for me. Because I was sick. And when you are sick every single routine happens and moves about extra slow. It's like watching your life in slow motion, It was soooo boring. And that is not good especially when most of your waking minute your head wants to explode, your throat burns, your ear is in so much pressure, and your nose is just useless. But the good thing is, even though how sick you are, eventually you will get better. And you need to get better because you are a mom. So, that's the story of my life...

Moving on to much better things that happened last week, here they are in photos:

Monday:

OMG! like a miracle, for a few minutes it rained on monday morning. Yay!

Tuesday:

I am pretty sure these candies must have taste so good. Just because you can't taste them does not mean you can't eat them right? I know, it does not make sense. And I ate a bag of them for snack.

Wednesday:

silver or brown?

Thursday:

I miss my parents.

Friday:

This boy loves his alphabet especially while bathing. He likes to gargle too. A lot.

Saturday:

had our first Mcdonalds meal in two months (I think).

Sunday:

finally wore my heart out in public. (DIY post here)

-the end-

Distressed Denim Shorts

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:03:53 PDT

don't tell my husband i stole his pants to destroy it and made it my own. Though, technically I can't call it my own if I stole it on the first place no? But Im not sorry at all. It's comfy and summer appropriate. It's becoming my go-to uniform at least until this summer.

Happy Monday folks!

top: thrift
diy distressed denim short
boots and necklace: GoJane

DIY: Heart Print Shirt

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:28:15 PDT

my DIY heart print shirt

photo source 1, 2, 3

I have always loved these J.Crew heart sweater. But you know, I cannot afford one or will I ever attempt to buy one. But in my dreams, I bought one in every color. Since I am living in a real world of my pocket, I made one. It is not perfect, but I am planning to make another one next week. A much bigger heart in a bright yellow color. Also, hoping to avoid those accidental little drips. Anyway, here's how I did it...

you will need:
a cotton shirt (mine is thrifted Uniqlo)
cut out heart pattern
thick cardboard to be placed inside the shirt
masking tape
brush and plastic card or credit card
rubberized paint

.... taaahdahhh! That's it. Let it completely dry for a couple of hours before ironing to seal the paint. Don't forget to put a cloth over the print before you iron it.

It really is as easy as it looks. Swear! But I suggest you use a good tape and use a lot of them. But basically, here's a simple way to make your own heart print shirt. Hope you enjoy this simple diy. Try it, make one.

And if you have any question about this project, let's talk about it over at facebook.

ps,

DIY stripe boots

Shop Update...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:16:58 PDT

Hello, hello miladies! I just added a few items on my SHOP today.

Thank you so much for supporting my little store. Gracias. Salamat ng marami. c",)

I Love Lucy...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:57:57 PDT

I have always loved vintage inspired clothes - the full long skirts and dresses. Maybe it's because, since my mom gave me her I love Lucy DVDs 5 years ago I just couldn't get it out of my mind: the happy endings, always happy ending, the theme song, the fashion and of course, of course the laughter, Lucy's antics and who can forget vitameatavegamin. That show was brilliant. If you aren't familiar with I Love Lucy, oh boy, oh boy, you better start now. You'll thank me later. Also, I am not sorry that the theme song will get stuck in your head for all eternity..... i love lucy, i love lucy and luuuuuucy looooves meeee. Told you.

Each time i watch every episode and see their dresses looking so cute, my mind wonders what it's like to wear full skirt dresses everyday, even at home. Lucy looked pretty fresh in her fab house dresses, contrasting collars, polka dots, gingham print top, kitten heeled sling backs and don't forget her turbans. Lucy is way ahead of the fashion game. Lucy rules! Lucy rocks!

So, I guess this dress is a keeper ei? This is not vintage at all. But it looks vintage. That's enough for me. Ill keep this forever hoping i'll vintage it through time.

dress: thrift
heels and bag: Zara
belt: from my Dad
necklace: Arabesque

ps,
I am collecting some vintage inspired clothes for a while now. You can see some of them here: 1, 2, 3, 4

Last Week...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:06:10 PDT

Hi You! How was your previous week went by? Hope it was a great one. Here's ours...

Monday night:

Yllac was a bit under the weather on a Monday. But he's getting sooooo good at taking his own temperature.

Tuesday:

I caught him talking to someone...

Wednesday:

breakfast for lunch and pool day because this boy is all better.

Thursday:

After dinner, suddenly we craved for cake. So we went out and bought a slice.

Friday:

Yellow? or blue?

Saturday:

Japanese for dinner. Yllac was tasting all of the food picture from the menu. He said it was yum.

Sunday:

Lunch after church.

-the end-

Can You See Me Now?

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:25:04 PDT

You ought to know by now, I am not color shy. c",)

I love colorful outfit. It's like, remember that feeling of opening your new crayon box? All those colors to play with....just fun! Colorful outfit brings a lot of excitement and energy, well at least for me. I know not all people are comfortable with bright colors. It's a choice. You can always drench yourself with color - or not! So if you're a bit of color shy, you can start mixing a bright piece with black or gray to mute the look. A vivid bag or hat also does the trick. Or, a lady can always start with her lips. Yup! Red lips is a great start. If you can rock red lips, sure you can rock anything.

Happy weekend guys!

floral top and pants: thrift
bag: Charles and Keith
heels: GoJane

Spicy Paella Fried Rice

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:13:22 PDT

I am not much of a cook. But I love recipe books. So now I can cook and make a decent food for my family six days a week. But still that doesn't make me much of a cook. But you know what?.....I am slowly falling in love with cooking. Before - and when I say before, i meant a year ago - cooking gives me so much stress. And that's when i stopped thinking about what to cook for the next meal and then the next day and just rely solely on local cookbooks. I just close my eyes, flip the page randomly six times and BAM, they are gonna be our food for the next six days. I make a list of all the ingredients and run to the grocery store. Basically that's the story of our family meal. Simple and easy. Thanks to cookbooks.

I love you cookbooks, because you make me look like a good wife and mama...

Gotta admit, making dinner sounds the last thing i wanna do especially when am exhausted but watching my family eat whatever I made that night does something to my heart. But this spicy paella rice didn't get to Yllac's mouth. But according to Jayson - my one and only food critique, it is very good.

So, a few days ago I made a Spicy Paella Fried Rice. And here's the recipe:

1 and 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup sliced onions

1 teaspoon paprika

1 piece chorizo, sliced (i don't have chorizo so i used tuna from a can)

1 bundle of asparagus (i don't have asparagus so I used baby corn)

1/2 medium head cauliflower, sliced

1 medium head broccoli, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

4 cups cooked rice

1. Saute garlic in olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook until translucent.

2. Mix in paprika and cook until aromatic. Add slices of chorizo, continue cooking until fat is rendered.

3. Mix in cooked rice and toss well until coated with paprika mixture. (paprika is very spicy btw)

4. add vegetables and mix well. Anyway, we find this recipe a bit dry so I added a cup of diced whole peeled tomato. Yummier I say.

By the way, you can get this recipe from YUMMY, Best Rice Recipes.

Yum! Try it. Happy cooking ladies.

ps,
the best cheap iced coffee you'll ever have - perfect for summer.

Slow Down There Little Guy...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:12:25 PDT

me and Yllac, at Mt.Samat last January 13, 2013

Casa Lozada is busy busy busy busy at the moment. I can prove it to you by the date of these photos I am sharing to you just now. Ooooppps, sorry. Not-for-a-moment will never happen for us anymore. Why? Because Yllac is officially a toddler now. (i do declare!)

Did I say we're busy? Because we are. I didn't know what busy meant until this toddler-age became real this year. I always thought that it will be easy when Yllac becomes a toddler, but boy oh boy I was dead wrong. He is everywhere. He touches everything. He's quick! He's messy. He mimics everything we do and say -oh, well at least babble his own version of it. He's messy! Did I say messy twice? Because he is. It's like, I just made the bed but here I am picking a few of our pillows from the floor and good luck to me finding some of them because my toddler loves to hide them in places where it doesn't belong. Like in my shoe closet and under the bed. In fact, right now, Im not even sure if ill be able to finish writing this post because my sweet toddler keeps knocking on my door. (we're trying to keep all our computer devices away from this toddler, that's why i hide in the other room whenever i work on my computer) He's nosy too. Nosy, nosy, nosy, noooosy. Yesterday after I plucked my eyebrows (yup! eyebrows done! next? my forgotten nails!) i couldn't find my eyebrow brush. And you know the dilemma and personal issues that comes to every woman with no eyebrows, right? I couldn't find it on the floor, couldn't find it in my pouch, couldn't find it in my shoe closet, or under the bed. I was sweating. I swear I am this close to losing it, and then, there I saw Yllac, sporting 3 layers of uni-brow on his forehead. c",)

I have 5 half-written blog post. The laundry basket is a mess. My sink is waiting. But at least i finished painting all of my five fingers on my left hand last night- the right hand will wait. My toes? Oh, forget about them! I always wear shoes anyway. Most times I am in the middle of finishing some work but then Yllac would come to me, smile and embrace me. He would hold my hand, pull me and take me to his place and everything stops and my things will just have to wait. Everyday, I try to remind myself that it's okay not to catch up on everything. The world will go on without me. But to my toddler, I am his whole world and he is mine. I remember these old photos of us last January and I can tell you exactly were I was in my life. I remember feeling happy and contented. I am a mother and this is my job. Sometimes it is frustrating and lotsa times very monotonous. It is a physical job. It is exhausting especially in summer. This mothering, this is a good job. I do it everyday. Sometimes smiling, sometimes not. Sometimes crying but lotsa lotsa times with laughter. And when i finally put him to bed at night I feel good. At the end of the day, no matter how hard our day was, I always feel good. And those are the things that matter most to me, plus of course those late night snaking with Jayson after Yllac was asleep. We love our instant yakisoba and Friends.

ps,

I know I promised you a shop update this week, but obviously that didn't happen. I am very sorry about that. Hope you forgive me. But next week, I promise.... oh well, we'll see about that.

Seriously, thank you for your patience.

Last Week...

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:44:33 PDT

Hi folks!

Last week was blurry and hair-blower-hot kind of week. My hair is toasted but I am sure glad that my shoe closet is clean and my cupboard is finally organized. But then again, here are my photos to do the real talkin' for me...

Monday:

We saw this. really???? people? really? I think the sign should say : "DO block my driveway, PLEASE! Pleeeeeease!", then maybe, just maybe, people will not actually park in front of your gate. #OnlyInThePhilippines

Tuesday:

Tuesday brunch. Poured my rainbow pancake left-over batter in one container without any stirring and made it into abstract pancake breakfast the following day. yay! plus Jayson's veggie omelet plus Yllac's breakfast entertainment. (our Monday breakfast, seen here)

Wednesday:

I am letting go more of my shoes that doesn't get a lot of wear. But these two will stay. kala-mo-huh! I am into mid-high heels as of now. So high-five you, you size 8 ladies out there c",)

Thursday:

He found his old bumbo chair, sat on it and read himself a cute monster story while his toes played some tunes.

Friday:

I was a little sad I've found Koffy's food and treats hidden in my cupboard. Well, you'd be glad to know that I finally gave them away.

Saturday:

..weekend brunch + Yllac's first attempt on his cousin's bike. We're thinking of getting him his first bike on his 3rd birthday. Is age 3 too soon for bike? Mothers...talk to me.

Sunday:

In-door shoot. I will list more items for my shop, so please check them out this coming Wednesday. Thank you ladies.

That's it. That's how our week went.

-the end-

Sweater Dress For Summer

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:02:05 PDT

What's my excuse? - this dress is very light and breezy. But the real excuse... I wish I am very comfortable with my own arms... I am just not. I cannot recall a single day in my whole life that I wanted to show them. It's not that horrible looking. It's a normal, regular set of arms. Anyway, I can't explain why really. Maybe it's a psychological thing? Please define me? Because even in my dreams I dare not show my arms. What about you? Do you love your arms? Okay, this is silly. Ignore the arm question. Okay, I thought of a better one. What would you rather show? - your arms or your legs?

Zara dress: thrift

boots: Gojane

Bag: Target

Happy Colorful Pancakes c",)

harukijayden@yahoo.com (Denise Katipunera) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:47:49 PDT

First of all, HAPPY TUESDAY guys!!!!

Second of all, what are you having for breakfast right now?

Us? today? We had boring eggs and boring bread and boring coffee. Yawn.

BUT! (there's a but)

Yesterday Monday we had these pretty and the happiest pancakes on all the lah lah land for breakfast.

Here's how to make them. Real easy am a tell yah!

I used the ready-to-use pancake batter. Any brand will do, but the secret to these happy pancakes is a very serious baby to mix the pancake batter. c",) You know what? This is pretty easy. A baby can do it, so can you. Here, let my photos do the talking. Enjoy!

Yum! Yum! Yum!

Have a great Tuesday folks!

ps,

if you have any question about this post or suggestion, let's talk over at twitter and facebook. See you there.