From Blushing Bride To Blooming Wife...

Fact of Life

2011-10-13T22:42:00.002+08:00

"Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts." - Nikki Giovanni

A Prayer for Emotional Healing

2011-09-17T22:16:00.000+08:00

I came across this prayer when I experienced a bend on our road. These were the times when I felt completely helpless, times when the pain was too much to contain.

PRAYER FOR EMOTIONAL HEALING

Loving Father,

I come before You with faith

in Your promise

that whatever I ask for in Your name

You will grant to me if it is for the good

of my soul and in accordance

with Your Divine Will.

I come trusting in Your great love for me

and believing that only You

know what is best for me.

I come to You now to ask

that You enter my heart

and heal all my wounded emotions.

You know me better than I know myself.

Bring Your healing love

into every corner of my heart

and release all the buried

negative emotions inside

that have not been resolved

and continue to cause

me pain and anguish.

Remove all unhealed hurts

and painful memories

that block the flow of Your graces,

robbing me of Your peace, love and joy.

Heal all feelings of sadness, loneliness,

fear and anxiety.

Heal all guilt, despair,

feelings of betrayal and rejection.

Heal all feelings of anger, hatred,

resentment and bitterness.

Bring Your healing love to all my emotions

that have caused me feelings

of hopelessness, discouragement,

helplessness and despair.

Grant me the grace to forgive all those

who caused these negative

emotions and likewise to be forgiven

by those to whom I have done the same harm.

O Lord, give me a repentant heart,

forgive me for my sins

and failures, and be merciful to me.

Help me to realize the blessings

that resulted from each painful experience

and how this has led me closer to You.

As You release from me

all these painful emotions,

fill all empty spaces

with Your love, Your peace, Your joy

and the powerful presence

of Your Holy Spirit.

After I have been healed,

may my life be a witness

to Your power and glory

and may I reach out to others, too.

All these I pray in Jesus’ name

through Mary and all the angels

and saints.

Amen.

Why Should I Assign Seating for Wedding Receptions

2011-09-17T10:43:00.002+08:00

Assigning seats for the wedding reception is one of the most tedious task for an OC bride but it pays to spend some sleepless nights over an organized wedding reception.

Sharing some hints on seating arrangement fromPerfect Table Plan

Unassigned seating sounds great in theory and it is certainly one less chore for the organizer. Unfortunately it rarely works out so well in practice.

There may be an unseemly rush for the ‘good’ seats.
It will take a lot longer to get guests seated. They may still be milling around while the food is being served.
Your beautiful decor will be spoilt by people leaving their coats on chairs to reserve them.
The last few guests end up walking around looking for seats, a bit like the unpopular kid at school lunch.
Couples can get split up. It is not unknown for guests to end up eating outside the venue because they couldn’t get a seat together at a table.
Elderly relatives may end up seated where they can’t see or hear anything.
If people turn up uninvited (common in some cultures) they may take seats intended for your invited guests.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

2011-09-17T10:12:00.000+08:00

I'm back.

I have been emotionally detached for quite some time since it happened.

Actually we were at the airport and almost had the chance to leave...hubby's visa had problems and as a wife, I will not push through if my husband has to be left behind...that was the reason.

If everything will be fixed and we can leave together,it would be a welcome development.Quitting from our jobs for a plan that did not push through was not easy to swallow.It was tough and it was never easy but WE dealt with it so I hope people who would be reading this will understand.

Keeping it for a while was never intentional, we just took our time to understand and process what had happened or why it happened.We needed time to heal and rebuild.It was a bend on our road for reasons only God knows.

In the mean time, here is where I belong.

To my Magellan, dont worry I temporarily used the purple luggage you gave and I miss you all.

To my 4th year batch, remember what I have been telling you- there is no looking back, only moving forward? I am doing just that and misses you just as equally.

To my friends Ms. Lisville, Ms. Merlie, Mr. Robert and Ms. Wilma thank you for being there...Ipe,as always thank you for listening!

We are just so happy to have been through it TOGETHER and thankful for our respective families who never abandoned us and humbled by the graces of God with our new jobs!

Mask-Saya Sa Masskara Festival

2011-08-31T11:16:00.004+08:00

Why do you want to experience and join that festival?

My husband and I have been married for two years but we don't have a child yet. We’ve been together for twelve years before we decided to get married. We vowed to enjoy each other's company first before we decide to try parenthood.

Just recently our marriage and our respective maturities got tested. While I don't want to divulge the details for some personal reasons, I would say that we are now slowly and surely recovering from it. Amidst all the trials,I thank God for giving me a husband and a family who just didn’t give up. My husband was really my knight in shining armor at the time when I felt emotionally wrecked but it was my mother who went the extra mile in supporting and guiding me through this ordeal. If there was one thing I thank the Lord for out of this ordeal, it was the chance he gave me to rekindle and better my relationship with my mother.

I want to be able to experience the Masskara Festival as a gift for my loving mother. She had never had the experience of travelling because she was always busy with her work as a dedicated public school teacher and as a doting mother and wife.I know that this opportunity will give us a breather from all the woes that we’ve been through.

Our story and the history of the Masskara Festival both sprung from tragic and sorrowful events which turned out as great opportunities. The opportunity to experience this festival will help us pull ourselves out of the pervasive gloomy emotions surrounding our recovery. The celebration of the Masskara festival had been an assertion by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, their city, Bacolod is going to pull through, survive, and eventually triumph. This is exactly the kind of feeling and energy we need at the moment– to rise above, survive and eventually resume and conquer life. I just want my mother to feel that she is appreciated and that I want to see her mask-saya again.

"Experience MassKara Festival, Hermosa Festival and Lanzones Festival this October. Airphil Express flies daily to BACOLOD, ZAMBOANGA and CAGAYAN DE ORO from Cebu and Manila. Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book!

Living My Life Anew

2011-08-29T12:28:00.001+08:00

It’s not always easy to do the right thing. But, doing the right thing makes you strong, it builds character, it forces you to make decisions based upon your beliefs and not what other people think. In life, and in business, you have to stand for what you believe in and sometimes you have to stand alone. But, what makes you a leader is having the courage of your convictions. – Queen Latifah

An Answered Prayer by St, Pio

2011-08-22T08:10:00.004+08:00

This is my story.

I would like to share the blessing which the Lord through the intercession of Padre Pio gave to us. I first heard about Padre Pio in a documentary at National Geographic. I heard about his miraculous healings and intercessions. A week after that, I read about the trip of Tintin Bersola, Julius Babao and Ricky Lo to the Padre Pio shrine in Italy and the testimonials they gave. I searched the internet and came across so many blogs which published numerous testimonials about Padre Pio and realized that there was a Padre Pio center in the Philippines. From then on, I turn to Padre Pio’s intercession every time I need some guidance and divine intercession.

Just as the school year began, my husband and I went to Padre Pio’s center in Libis Quezon City. I remembered asking numerous things-some trivial others were note worthy. I remembered asking Padre Pio to bless the books that I am writing, to give me a fruitful school year, to bless our family and our loved ones with good health, I also remembered asking Padre Pio to bless us with a child and intercede for us to be able to work abroad. Among the many other things I asked, this was what I least expected to be answered, afterall, both my husband and I have stable jobs. After a few weeks after , one of my prayers was answered. An opportunity came for us to be able to work overseas and constantly after that, we can still feel Padre Pio’s intercession. Every step of the application process was easy for me and my husband. There was never a document that became impossible to process and all the people whom we worked with during the application were all accommodating and I know it’s because the Lord is working through Padre Pio.

I brought my mother and my aunt to see Padre Pio and their encounter was the same us ours.. It was always a long drive but it was worth it. For some reasons, every time we are at the center, we felt the heaviness and worries of our hearts melt away and in my heart of hearts I know, that Padre Pio heard their heart’s desires.

I always look forward to visiting the center again. I know I had to come back to the place to say thank you and to ask for his intercession again. I said “Lord alam kong ikaw ang nagbigay ng opportunity na ito and kung para po to sa amin, salamat po at tuluyan mo po kaming i-bless para po mapangyari naming ang will ninyo”.

We left the Padre Pio center yesterday with a novena and a rosary at hand, which we will be bringing with us as we leave.I hope that those who will read this, will know more about Padre Pio and will get to experience his powerful intercession. I remembered one of the anecdotes of Padre Pio which read “How can I say no to a prayer when my Lord answers all prayers”.

For those who would want to visit Padre Pio Center, here's the complete address:

St. Pio of Pietrelcina Chapel

(of the Philippine Centre for St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Inc.)

RER Compound, 188 E. Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue (C-5), Bagumbayan,

Quezon City, Metro Manila 1110 Philippines

My Cousin's Wedding

2011-08-20T17:00:00.000+08:00

My cousin is soon to wed next year and since she is an overseas bride, I have been asked to help her with her wedding preps...oh well...here is a design which I made for her gift tags...hers would be a beach themed wedding...

Design study 1: Table Numbers

Design Study #2: Gift Tags

Well, yesterday we got the gift tags printed already....I guess I should make this a business soon!

Awesome Cakes

2011-08-18T16:41:00.000+08:00

Pull away cakes Php380.00/ set

How I wish I have known them during the wedding preps....I am referring Majesto Cakes. My husband came across Majesto when we were driving along Aguirre Ave. in Pilar Village. I thought they were just a newly put-up business but when I tried searching for it, they had been in the business for quite some time laready. In fact they have been joining wedding and debut expos....sigh...

Anyway, I ordered my pull away cakes from them...and they were too cute!

Here's a link to their Multiply site:

http://cupcakesbymajesto.multiply.com/

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

2011-08-14T20:23:00.000+08:00

YAY!

I just turned thirty...seems there is no other way but to embrace it! Sharing my journey to thirties!

My family celebrating with me!

Catering by Meodeb....

Family, HS friends, WC colleagues and former students came...

Pull away cakes by Cupcakes by Majesto

Back to Blogging

2011-08-08T20:04:00.003+08:00

I've been it and out of the blogging scene...blame it on my work (you know that I am a very hardworking teacher...yay) , my books (which I'm yet to finish and publish..another yay!) and my life as a blushing wife (wink!)
My life is soon to change...everything right now is a whirlwind of change but I'm pretty sure Im ready...and as life unfolds anew, I'll gonna turn to my old friend for comfort...writing...blogging that is...
I am back!

A Poem for Daddy on Father's Day

2011-06-18T09:00:00.001+08:00

For the strong hands that anchored my first steps

For the patience you gave as I rode my bike

For that deep voice of security and assurance

For that thumbs up sign every victory I achieved

For the stern look over the mistakes things I did

For that sturdy shoulders I can cry upon

For the generous pockets that were never reluctant to share

For the intellectual conversations and the unconditional love and care

For those hands that accompanied me to the altar

For all that you are which made me who I am....

I LOVE YOU DADDY! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Chinese Tuna Fried Rice

2011-05-05T10:00:00.000+08:00

Sharing this simple recipe....

Ingredients:

1 Can Tuna in oil (drained)

1 Can Corned Tuna (with oil)

1 Large Bell Pepper (diced)

2 Medium Sized Onions

2 Eggs (beaten)

1O cups cooked rice

2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Shrimp Paste

1 teaspoon olive oil

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan. Sautee onions, bell pepper, and tuna.

Add cooked rice. Stir.

Add shrimp paste and stir to equally distribute all the ingredients.

On a separate skillet, scramble eggs until fluffy. Shred scarbled eggs.

Stir in scramble eggs to the rice mixture.

**You may addmore shrimp paste according to your taste.

Travel Diaries: UAE 2010

2010-05-25T09:10:00.000+08:00

Burj Al-Arab

Atlantis Dubai

Al Ain Zoo

Applebees

Mercure Hotel, Jebel Hafeet

Jebel Hafeet

Manila-Hong Kong-Dubai

My parents in law brought us to visit them last summer. It was a blast! And did I mention it was free! Whoa!

Here are some pictures from our UAE Summer...

Hotels Visited:

Mercure Hotel, Al Ain

Burj Al-Arab

Emirates Palace Hotel

Malls Visited:

Ibn Battuta

Marina Mall

Al-Ghurair

Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

Carrefour, Al ain

Visited:

Atlantis

Jumeira Beach

Corniche

SKi Dubai

Desert Safari

Grand Mosque

Revisited: The Fernbrook Promenade

2010-04-20T08:16:00.003+08:00

We have had our JS Prom at Fernbrook Gardens and it was really a memorable one for the students. We vaialed of their promo and Fernbrooks even set-up an on-site photobooth free for an hour.
Here are the rest of the deatils of our Fernbrook Promenade

Date: February 07, 2010
Caterer: Juan Carlo
Venue: Fernbrook Gardens
Lights & Sounds: Al Joe Mix
Photo & Video: Blessings Photography

For photos of our JS Prome click here

My Fur Friend

2010-04-02T08:22:00.000+08:00

I have a Lhasa pup for over 5 months now...I got him from a breeder when he was only 3 weeks old...His name is Zohan!

Why Zohan? I wanted the name Noodles but the breeder said all the other litter were registered with names starting with the letter Z so my husband named him Zohan-after AdamSandler's movie "Don't Mess With The Zohan!"
He is one spoiled dog...he gets his monthly grooming from Urban Doggies (home service tha is!) and is taking Eukanuba and Science Diet!

Revisited: Disney On Ice

2010-04-01T08:32:00.000+08:00

Last Christmas, Eds and I watched Disney On Ice at Araneta Coliseum.The tour has been an annual one for the Disney Company and I can remember dreaming of watching it when I was seven years old...funny that I nearly have to wait til Im 28 to finally watch it and it was worth the wait!
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from various Disney films and properties; the "stars" of the show are credited as the Disney characters themselves, performing their parts in mock cameos, while the skaters performing themselves remain anonymous. The productions began in 1981, under the name "Walt Disney's World on Ice". The name was changed to "Disney on Ice" in 1998.

We bought our tickets via TicketNet and paid for it at SM Southmall.

Click here for some of the photos...

Yeah, Im Blogging Again...

2010-04-01T08:09:00.000+08:00

Whew...has it really been months since I posted my last blog entry.
Well, real life took hold of me and I really felt that I needed to slow down a bit and gather my thoughts backs just as as so I can start sharing my throughts and humdrums back to this tiny space at the URL...
Yeah, Im Blogging Again!

Revisited: Romancing Boracay

2010-03-25T09:01:00.001+08:00

We went to Boracay last February with my husbands and his co-workers. It was their team building and the team decided to bring me along.
I had been on the island of Boracay 4 years ago and wow, the island completely looks different now!
The island features more places to shop, dine and relax!
Here was our itinerary
Day 1
Check In at hotel
Lunch at Talipapa
Beach Combing w/ Isaw
Shopping at D'Mall
Dinner at Mang Inasal
Day 2
Breakfast at Jammers
ATV Ride to Mt. Luho
Reef Walking
Lunch at Hawaiian BBQ
Regency Hotel
Spa
Eat-All-You-Can Dinner at Mongolian BBQ
Day 3
Breakfast at Mediterranean
Pasalubong Shopping
Back to Manila by noon

Click here for our photos...
and here for more photos!

Awesome Tagaytay!

2010-03-20T08:45:00.000+08:00

Every Jaun loves Tagaytay! It is the second best place for cool weather (the first being Baguio), awesome food, and fantastic nature view. There is more to Tagaytay than the usual Palace in the Sky and Picnic Grove.
We've been going to Tagaytay quite frequently lately and here some jewels waiting to discovered in Tagaytay...

AWESOME PASALUBONG

Amira's Buco Tart
Cloister Cookies (Pink Sisters Convent)
Ube Jam
Fresh Lettuces and Pineaples

AWESOME SPAS

Nurture Spa
Sonya's Garden
Ylang Ylang Spa @ Taal Vista

AWESOME FOOD

Antonio's
Josephines
Bag of Beans
Mushroom Burger
RSM Lutong Bahay
Buco Shangai

Check out Our Awesome Planet ( http://anton.blogs.com )
Check out some of our photos here

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

2009-11-09T16:43:00.004+08:00

I am a big fan of Cheescakes. In particular, I like Sbarro's, Italianis, Cheesecake Etc. and Starbucks.

So here's my take of my favorite cheescake...and oh, did I tell you its a no-bake one?

Ingredients:

2 American Heritage cream cheese (softened)
1 Alaska Cream tetra pack

3 tablespoon sugar

1 cup Oreo cookies (vanilla cream scraped off, crushed)

1 pouch MY San crushed graham crackers

6 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 large pouch of crushed MY san grahams with 6 tablespoons melted butter til it forms into lumps.
Line a 6" inches aluminum pan with graham crust. Using your fingers, press firmly so they will stick into the pan.
In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese,sugar, Alaska crema and vanilla. Whip it until thick.

Pour in the cream cheese mixture atop of the graham crust.

Top with crushed Oreo cookies.

Refrigirate it for about an hour.

Serve.

Of White Lace & Wedding Tunes

2009-11-08T07:58:00.005+08:00

Soon to wed couples will soon find their heart's content listening to the album of Ms. Agot Isidro, who, after being Judy Ann and Ryans wedding singer, released an album entitled White Lace & Promises...

Here's a link for the album's complete download....Click here

Busy Days...

2009-10-26T11:32:00.002+08:00

I missed blogging already...its been almost two weeks since I blogged..well so many things had happened...sad ones, memorable ones and happy ones...
SAD NOTE
My lola dear passed away due to lung cancer.She battled with her illness for 3 months and last October 16, she finally joined our creator. I was my lola's girl. I was brought to her care when I was 3 weeks old and only left her care when I was already 24...surely I'll be missing her.
HAPPY THOUGHTS
My advisory class won the Best in Altar award
Finally, my ordeal with SSS is over!
I made an advane order for Belle De Jour 2010 planner!
I had a successful event last October 26, 2009 (a debut at Fernbrooks)
We had an ultimate bonding experience with my family over a dinner at Giligans.
Back to work!

The Triple S Experience

2009-10-13T15:09:00.003+08:00

I had the most horrendous experience with SSS. Since I got married, I knew I needed to update everything from bank accounts, to government documents such as Pag-ibig-BIR, Philhealth and SSS.

I never had difficulties with my bank accounts nor with Pag-ibig, BIR and Philhealth. During my leave prior and after the wedding, I downloaded the pertinent forms and accomplished them all. As soon as I resumed work, I passed all the necessary documents and after two weeks, I was able to receive the updated records (kudos for Philhealth, super bilis nila mag-update ng MDR). But the same can not be said for SSS.

For one, a newly married woman (an SSS member that is) needs to accomplish the E4 form (to update the status), afterwhich you will be told to wait for a month for the upadtes to appear at their database (this you can check with their online database provided you are a registered member).

After the updates were made, you will be asked to accomplish the E6 (form for ID application). This is where the problem begins.

Setting: SSS bacoor

Mood: Chaotic. No signs to tell people where to go or what number is being called.

Based on my experience, when I accomplihed the E6 form, I went to the cashier as I know you will be asked to pay Php150.00 for the new id but the cashier told me since may cut-off daw na 100 per day, it would be better daw pagsabayin na lang pag bumalik ako.

Knowing she knows the system better than I do, I did what she said. Low and behold when we went back, what happened was the exact opposite. Despite beng there early for the cutoff, my form was rejected and I was asked by the security guard to pay FIRST! This happened last August 14.Mind you, I had an absence from work beacuse of this and I know for sure, its the same for the rest of their members who went home just as pissed as I am.

FAST FORWARD TO OCTOBER

Again, here we are again.Trying to convince ourselves that there is indeed a system with SSS. We went to SSS at round 5:00 am tryng to beat the cut-off time and following the security guard's advice almost a month ago.

To our horror, when we arrived, we were already 145 but were told that there might be rejected forms so we ought to be staying na lang daw. Dumating ang tanghali, at despite the numerous rejected forms, deadma pa rin! Again, absent ako.

We went back again this mrning, we left at around 2:30am (yes, ganun kaaga!) and reached SSS Bacoor at 3am, and guess what, konti pa lang, yet, pang 22 pa din kami. Ok lang compared to my previous ordeals before.

So ayun, pasok sa cut-off. We were asked to eneter the SSS office at around 7am and we waited til 8:05 (late kasi yung nagka-capture...asar!). FYI: isa lang ang pangcapture nila.

The whole process will just take you 5 minutes so Im left wonderin as to why they needed to have a 100/day cutoff.

I hope that the government will do something about this. The efficiency of most government agencies are always questionable.

The public needs you now. Sa dami ng nagfile ng calamity loans at nawalan ng documents because of the calamity, dapat nagyon kay magpakita that government agencies are as reliable as they are efficient. That's the least we can do for those who were at their trying times.As for me, given na that I had 2 days absence just to have this ID..its the sacrifice Im willing (no choice din naman) to make, but think about yung mga affected na ng calamity at kailangan pang mag-absent at mag-incur ng deduction sa salary only to come home in dismay over a system that needs major changes.

WORLD TEACHER'S DAY

2009-10-05T20:35:00.002+08:00

It has been quite a while since I last posted on my blog, during at which the classes in the school where I am currently teaching at suspended classes for a good one week following DEPED’s order due to the calamity which struck the country.
I must admit I enjoyed the whole week as I had enough time for my husband, whom I seldom see during school days ( he works at an BPO company and ends shift at 5:00 am, he usually reaches home at around 6:30 at which I am about to leave the house for work) but at the same time, I also missed being with the company of my makukulit na students…who despite their being pasaways, always make me feel young all the time…(yun yata ang secret kaya everytime nka civilian ako, di ako nadidistinguish na teacher around them,)…
This afternoon, I got a bouquet of roses...nope, not from Eds but from my advisory class for World Teacher's Day!

To my fellow colleagues who have chosen this call, Happy World Teacher's Day to all of us!