Life in Motion

Bing! A New Player in the Market

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:24:00 +0000

Microsoft recently launched their new search engine called Bing. This replaces the old Windows Live Search. I was never a fan of the Live Search but decided I'd give Bing a try. And what a pleasant surprise, it's got a new face, which is very similar to the Google Search Engine (no surprises there).

One of the features that easily caught my attention was the background image which changes everyday. It also includes some information on selected elements within the image. Of course, you can always turn the image on or off. This is a fresh and very much welcomed idea in my opinion. I noticed that at the bottom of the image are popular links relevant to the image on display. Cool, huh?

On the left pane of the window, it contains the Navigation Links, much like its competitor (Google), I'd say the only difference is the position of the navigation links (Google being on the top of the page and Bing on the left side).

Another feature worth mentioning is its ability to store previously used keyword searches, as well as any relevant searches available. You'll notice this on the left side of the window.

Oh, and try searching for Videos. Notice that when it gives you all the available searches, hover your mouse over to a video and it instantly plays it back for you, even without clicking on it.

Of course there's a lot more features than these mentioned above...
And of course there are still bugs that needs to be fixed, but I think Microsoft is on to something here...what do you think?

East Coast...here we come! (Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:54:00 +0000

It has been a long day. It was almost the end of the day when we decided we've had enough of the Big Apple. We're heading off to our hotel in Boston...but wait...not until we stop by Jollibee! That's right, the only one in the East Coast (I think). The hubby insisted we go there for dinner. He said he drove all the way to New York especially for this...

who can say no to Jollibee?? Definitely not me! So we braved the traffic, weaved in and out of the never ending flow of yellow cabs and tourists. And we're off to see the bee! Maybe next time I will post my personal review of the place :)

A few more shots while on our way out of the city. Looming skyscrapers, towering billboards, neon lights, the noise, the chaos, all a part of the city that never sleeps.

East Coast...here we come! (Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:41:00 +0000

When the company I have been working for for 5 long years was hit by the world-wide recession, many of its employees suffered a terrible fate of job-loss. Those (including yours truly) that were lucky enough to have escaped the lay offs were also forced to take two weeks of unpaid vacation leaves. There was a great deal of resistance at first, but eventually everyone calmed down. I, for one, actually enjoyed and benefited from the "furlough". I thought it gave us a chance to take our days off without any guilt attached. Many of my colleagues traveled outside the country. Some went to China and Honk Kong, others to Italy and some to France. The husband and I didn't want to dip our hands too deep into our savings so, together with another friend of ours, we simply drove to the U.S. and make the best of what we have.

We drove for 6 hours to New York City. To admire the beauty of Lady Liberty, the gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States.
To see the sights and sounds of Manhattan, Times Square and a short visit to the famous Madison Square Garden.

This was just the first day...we continued on to Boston, Cambridge, New Hampshire and Maine...but let's leave that to the next post. Stay tuned...

I'm Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:40:00 +0000

It has been way too long. The last entry almost seems like a distant memory.
Laziness and procrastination took over my body and I couldn't help myself, so I gave in. Ok, well, I was also very busy at work.

With the recession hitting the U.S. (and the rest of the world), our company took a good beating too. Almost one third of the company's support and admin staff were laid off, leaving some of us (the lucky ones, if you wanna call us that) with "gynormous" amount of work to do. And with that, I had no down time.

So up until recently, my whole world revolved around my work. But things are starting to ease up a little, so yours truly is back. Pray that it continues that way.

I will be posting some of my recent adventures next time. Stay tuned!

Uhmmm...it's good to be back!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:34:00 +0000

Have a Wonderful Holiday to All

Thanksgiving Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:26:00 +0000

I am not an American nor do I live in the United States either, but I work for an American company, so I get to celebrate the American Thanksgiving instead of the Canadian one. This is actually a very good thing for me. I get to enjoy an extra long weekend, not only do we get the Thanksgiving day off, we get the day after Thanksgiving as well which is really awesome (for shopaholics like me) because this day is the BIGGEST holiday shopping day in the U.S. and most stores give as much as 80% discount on stuffs.

So anyway, the hubby and I decided to drive to Albany, NY on Thursday. It is a good
3-hour drive from Montreal. Of course, it took us almost 4 hours to get there because the roads were a little bit slippery from the flurries we had the night before. The main purpose of the trip was to do some Christmas shopping for the kids, we have a bunch of nieces and nephews and godchildren too. We spent the entire Friday driving around from one mall to the next, looking for the best (read: cheapest) gifts we can find which we thought the kids will enjoy, and which the mommies and daddies will approve of. I guess we were in luck as most of the toys we got were at 70% discount because of their Black Friday deals. We didn't finish until 6PM, so you can imagine how exhausting that was. I love shopping and all, but man, that was more than what I could handle in one day. At the end, I was begging to go home as my feet were very sore and they just couldn't walk anymore. So we settled at the hotel for the night, shared a can of Canadian Beer and some Buffalo Wings!

We were scheduled to drive back to Montreal on the Saturday, but there was no way I was leaving without seeing some of the State's local attractions. So on our way home, we did a detour at the city center where I took these photos:
The Egg|Center for the Performing ArtsI love the architecture, it is designed with virtually no straight lines or harsh corners. It is funny because a friend of mine thinks it really is not shaped like an Egg, but is shaped like a bowl for Lucky Charm cereals instead!

New York State Museum
We had a chance to go in and marvel at some of the arts and historical artifacts housed in the museum, unfortunately cameras weren't allowed so I couldn't take any pictures inside. I saw some people who were ignoring the "No Photos Allowed" sign but I was too good of a citizen to disobey it...hahahaha!

It was late when we found ourselves driving back on the I-87. My eyes were tired and I was ready to curl up and sleep in the passenger side but I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the snow covered hills and mountain along the way.

Times Are Changing...Fast!

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:55:00 +0000

We have seen the first sign of Winter weather this morning. We woke up to about a centimeter of wet snow on the ground. This is the part that I hate the most. When the temperature is a few degrees above zero, and snow falls, they do not stay as powder on the ground, instead they melt and turn into that yucky and slushy thing which can be downright slippery if you're not wearing the right kind of shoes! Bleh! I actually made the stupid mistake of not wearing my boots this morning so when I came out of the house, I slipped and twisted my ankles from trying to regain my balance. Oh the joys of winter!

On the lighter side of things. Hockey season has started and it's keeping me amused most of the time. I have friends who still cannot come to terms with my addiction to this sport. Unfortunately, I do not know how to explain it to them either. Well, Yey for me, as I get to see my favorite team (on HDTV!) play three to four times a week!

Go Habs Go!

The Man in My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:51:00 +0000

I snagged this one from Jeanny's blog. I don't talk about the hubby as much as I want to, so I thought this gives you an overview of the man I married.

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV: what is on the screen?
Answer: Either Hockey or NBA

2. You are out to eat: What kind of dressing does he put on his salad?
Answer: Italian dressing

3. What is the one food he doesn’t like?
Answer: Liver. He hates it. Although I manage to make him eat a little when I cook Menudo.

4. You go out to the bar: what does he order?
Answer: Corona

5. Where did he go to high school?
Answer: Somewhere in Dollard-des-Ormeaux

6. What size shoe does he wear?
Answer: Size 10

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
Answer: Jordan Shoes. He's got quite a collection at his parent's house. I always threaten to sell them on eBay. LOL.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Answer: Smoked meat sandwich

9. What would the husband eat every day if he could?
Answer: Steak. He's a carnivore.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Answer: Corn Pops

11. What would he never wear?
Answer: Jewelries, especially bracelet, he hates it.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Answer: Detroit Red Wings of the NHL

13. Who will he vote for?
Answer: Definitely Obama

14. Who is his best friend?
Answer: His buddy "E"

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
Answer: Starting a sentence and not finishing it.

16. How many states has he lived in?
Answer: Three: Mississippi, Michigan and Quebec (province)

17. What is his heritage?
Answer: Full blooded Bicolano

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday: what kind?
Answer: Chocolate cake

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Answer: Yes, lots: Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Volleyball, Tennis, Soccer...and more. He used to be super hyper when he was in high school, his counsellor suggested he use sports as an outlet to avoid getting into fights.

20. What could he spend hours doing?
Answer: Either watching TSN on TV or playing Baseball on his PSP.

"Ang Buhay sa Amerika"

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:16:00 +0000

I was cleaning out my Inbox this morning when I came across an old email forwarded to me by a friend. It's funny and yet, it is the reality. Read on.

HAY BUHAY AMERICA
Akala ng mga tao kapag nasa America ka madami ka ng pera.
Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat
ang gamit mo sa pagbili ng mga gamit.
Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka,
kase kapag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang,
ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na.
Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America,
maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw
o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America.

Akala nila masaya ang buhay sa Amerika, Ang totoo, puro ka
trabaho, kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pambayad ng bills mo,
sa kotse, credit cards, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa.
Hindi ka pwedeng tumambay sa kapit-bahay, kase busy din sila
naghahanap-buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpapadala ka ng pictures mo sa
DisneyLand, Seaworld, SixFlags, Universal Studios at iba pang
attractions. Ang totoo, kailangang ngumiti ka,
kasi nagbayad ka ng $70.00 para makarating ka
dun, kailangan mo naman ang sahod mo ng sampung oras pambayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na ang sahod mo.
Ang totoo, malaki kapag pinalit mo ng Peso, pero dolyar din ang
gastos mo sa America, ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong
dolyar mo din gagastusin.
Ang 15.00 pesos na sardinas sa Pilipinas $ 1.00 sa America,
ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa Pilipinas Php 40.00, sa America
$6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na Php 10,000 sa Pilipinas,
sa America $1,000...

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at
kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo.
Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan o higit pa.
Ang bahay, 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin,
alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America.
Lalo na ang mga nurses, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas.
Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain
mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa, hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang
kinikita mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto
para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa.

Let's Go for a Stroll

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:44:00 +0000

Last weekend was the probably one of the better days we've seen since Fall started. It has always been cold and wet, but last Saturday, we welcomed the sun and all it's gloriousness. It was around 19 degrees on the plus side. The perfect time to go for a hike up Mount Royal to see the changing of the leaves. Ok, I said hike, but it wasn't really a a big hike since the road leading to the lookout is paved...it was more like a stroll, only it's up-hill. It was a good 25 minute walk from the bottom of the hill to the actual Lookout, I did break a little sweat, which was very much welcomed since I am always cooked up inside and rarely sweat anymore.

I took a few pictures as we were walking.

This is taken at the Lookout, a view of downtown Montreal
Ok well this is all the pictures I have on my phone, I haven't uploaded the ones on the camera yet, I will add some more tonight.

Creative Swap Goodies

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:06:00 +0000

A week ago, I went through some medical turmoil, nothing serious, definitely nothing that a long, good night sleep and a cup of tea with lemon and honey couldn't fix. I managed to recover, albeit, just in time for the hubby to go through the same thing too. He still is, until this morning, lying in bed, nursing his full blown flu. And it goes without saying that he, although not his fault, is dragging me down. I just hate it when one of us is sick.

The other day, I came home exhausted. I noticed a package sitting on top of our coffee table, I had a feeling it was for me, but I had no energy left to even open it. So last night, I hurried home and opened the package. What a really pleasant surprise! The package is from my swap partner! Am I allowed to reveal who it came from? I think so...

Sinta sent these goodies.

I love the color of the scarf, it goes really well with my long coat. And it came just in time for the fast approaching winter months.

And a box of Yorkshire tea! How did she know I love to drink tea?
And of course, the beads which I can't wait to use for my project, and a postcard for me to have a glimpse of her beautiful surroundings.

In Need of A New Handbag?

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Ok, well I have a huge addiction to handbags and purses, especially if they are free, so here, I am sharing this post that I snagged from a fellow blogger, Laarnay . All you have to do is visit this website, enter your name and your email address and pick the handbag that you'd like to have (if you win the draw). The new handbag online shop Handbag Planet is giving away 1 handbag per hour on their launch date (Oct 15).

This was my pick:

So, go on and enter the draw, what have you got to lose? You never know, maybe you'll get lucky!

I Paid the Price...

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:40:00 +0000

I've been miserable for the past three days. I never realized how vulnerable I am until I got hit head on. It started on Tuesday afternoon and I blame it on the person sitting beside me on the bus. She was sniffling and blowing her nose and I was too shy to move away from her lest she thinks I'm disgusted or something. But yeah, I caught her colds and now I'm suffering!

But, I say, something good must come out of anything bad, though, no? Well,for one, I was able to skip work yesterday (and God knows how much I hate Mondays!), so that was good. And two, I was able to finish the project I started last week. Someone requested that I make them a set of rings made from swarovski pearls. So I did just that yesterday after refusing to be tied down to bed again, just like Saturday and Sunday.
Swarovski Pearl Ring Set for Aimee
I am feeling better already!

Cap-de-la-Madeleine, A Short Pilgrim

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:46:00 +0000

I woke up early yesterday morning feeling the blues. The mornings in the North Pole have gotten colder, a lot colder. I was greeted with a good smacking in the face by the cold air when I opened my front door yesterday. The tree across the street from our place has started changing colors, from green and now to yellow. In the next few days, the leaves will start to fall to the street below. It's time, Autumn is officially here. Brrrrr! I feel the chills just by thinking about it. How can it be? We aren't done enjoying the Summer yet!

So, we did a little catching up on the Summer "outings", before the Mercury drops even more. We drove for an hour and a half to a town called Cap-de-la-Madeleine in the city of Trois Riviere (meaning three rivers), for a little, spontaneous "pilgrimage". We visited the infamous Shrine of Notre Dame du Cap-de-la-Maldeleine. The place is an absolute beauty, both tranquil and solemn. There are numerous stories told of this place, although my favorite is the story about the Ice Bridge. As many parishioners will tell you today, the story began when the "little old stone church" became too small for the rapidly growing community in the Cape. During a mild winter in 1879, parishioners prayed the Rosary, asking for the river to freeze to allow them to transport stones across the river, from the south shore to what would be the new location of the "bigger church". Miraculously, at the end of that mild winter, an Ice Bridge was formed, which enabled the people to complete the transfer of the stones, and later on to finish building the new and bigger church.
The Rosary Bridge, which is built to memorialize the prayers of the parishioners for an ice bridge.
This place is a Sanctuary. In the gardens, one would find life-size, bronze statues of the Stations of the Cross.

St. Mary's Lake. It is located at the center of the garden.
We're hoping for somewhat warm weather so we can go on our next "outing", this time to St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec City.

Light The Night Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:28:00 +0000

A little over two years ago, my mother-in-law succumbed to Leukemia. Her painful battle, together with her family's lasted for 5 years from the time she was diagnosed. During her ordeal, she did her best to live her life to the fullest and continued to be an inspiration to the people around her. She volunteered to be a "guinea pig" and be studied by doctors performing research for the cure.

On September 27, 2008, my hubby is participating in the Light the Night fundraising event to try and raise more money for the research. It's our way of continuing what his mom has started.

What is Light the Night Walk?

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night walk
is a 5 km twilight walk that features participants carrying illuminated balloons to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer. Cancer patients and survivors carry white balloons, supporters carry red balloons, and those walking in memory of a loved one carry gold balloons. Together, they "light the night" and truly brighten the future for millions touched by cancer.

So, in addition to our own individual pledges, I'm donating 25% of my jewelry sales (both from and outside of Etsy) between September 15, 2008 until September 26, 2008. Of course, individual pledges (no minimum) are also accepted. Just by logging in to the Light the Night website, clicking on the Sponsor a Participant button and entering his name (if you wish to sponsor, no pressure, please leave me a short comment and I will send you his name, he doesn't want to be published...LOL!) and city (Montreal).

And for now, we're praying for this event's success and of course, for good weather.

Blog Loving

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:44:00 +0000

A fter the massive migraine that knocked me out of my wits both on Sunday and Monday, I am once again under the weather. Ouff! This is just not my month, is it? And the worst part is that I've got half a day left sick day which I can take until the end of the year, no more, no less. If I need to take more than that, I'd have to agree to get a pay deduction! Either that, or simply wait till the New Year (to get sick) when my available sick days gets replenished! Arrrggh! I'm really not a happy camper right now.

The only thing that keeps me going today is the blog love I received from a dear friend Miss Firefly. She received this award from Zakka Life and has decided to pass it along to some of her blog friends as well, including me. Yey! Thanks much, Odette!

In return, I'm passing this award to the girls who, like Odette, inspire me continuously: Gracey, Jeanny, and Caryn. You girls rock!

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

I grabbed this from Odette as well, who received it from JavaQueen. She's sharing it to her entire blogroll. Aren't these girls super? Hey, grab the badge too! Yes, YOU! :)

The Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:35:00 +0000

I am very exhausted! We, hubby and I plus another friend of ours went south of the border on Friday night. The wait at the Lacolle border was longer than we anticipated, it took us an hour to get through customs, which was actually very surprising since it wasn't a long weekend, yet there were a lot of cars lined up when we got there. So, I was a bit disappointed because I didn't get a chance to go to Michael's like I wanted to. I wanted to pick up some craft supplies for the weekend, but they were already closed when we got there. *Sigh*

So, after breakfast on Saturday, I asked the hubby if we can go to Ottawa for a few hours. I was determined to get some craft supplies and most definitely some beads too. I checked out the famous Canada Beading Supply in Colonnade Road, and believe me, I was in bead heaven! They carry a wide range of semiprecious stones and wires at affordable prices! I went nuts and bought me $135 worth of beads! All semiprecious. The hubby of course winced whe he saw the bill.

Sunday evening I started developing a massive headache. Yeah, I. Was. Done! I was having the worst migraine attack ever! I curled up under the covers and came out only at 3PM yesterday, it was that bad. I had to call in sick at work as there was no way I could go out in that state. As soon as the headache was gone though, I indulged myself into playing with Saturday's purchases. I came out with these few pieces.

Made from blue turquoise fossils
Made from Red Jasper stones (Update: SOLD)

My Take: What Women Need To Know

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Miss Firefly (head over to her blog to read more of her adventures) posted something on her blog that hits close to home (my home, at least). She recently moved to Ireland to be with her darling husband. Everything is fine and dandy, except, domestic life is just so new and foreign to her. But, isn't this true to most of us women who plunged into married life for the very first time? I know when the hubby and I first moved in together, I found myself struggling too. I was so used to living alone, doing my grocery shopping only when I wanted to, ate out most of the time as I detested sitting on the dinner table alone. Spent several after-office hours either in the library or in a bookstore. Owned two sets of plates, miss-matched cutleries, a single ladle and two types of pans, one for frying eggs (which was used rather frequently) and another for cooking something with soup (which I think I used twice or three times during it's lifetime). And spices? Hmmmm, yeah, salt and pepper were the only spices you can find in my kitchen at that time.

Everything changed drastically when I got married though. The first three months were rough. I found myself crying for mommy when things got tough. But hubby was very supportive and understanding, and we sailed through those rough times together.

I may not be an expert on this, but, in an effort to help a friend uncomplicate things, here is my take.

for every category, please give at least the first 5 things (or more, if you prefer) that are important to you/your home, including your favorite brands

1. dried herbs and spices
- salt and pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, chili flakes, Montreal steakhouse steak spice

2. sauces/vinegars
- the Ilocos vinegar is still my fave, I get it from the Filipino store nearby, I go for the VH Honey Garlic BBQ sauce and the Diana Sauce

3. brands of laundry soap
- this one depends on what's on sale...LOL! Mostly "Cheer" or the "Arm & Hammer" biodegradable laundry soap

4. cookwares
- I use the "Calphalon" stainless steel, they don't come cheap but it has a lifetime warranty, T-fal is also good, but I don't like the non-stick ones

5. cooking utensils/tools/gadgets
- blenders, food processors, garlic press, manual choppers or slicers, cutting boards, cheese graters, I use mostly wooden ladles (gentler for the cookwares)

6. kitchen appliances
- oven toaster, microwave, Maytag smooth top oven & stove, fridge, rice cooker, slow cooker (perfect for those winter months), dishwasher (although I don't own one yet)

7. tablewares
- Corelle, Corningware, Noritake, Royal Doulton, Oneida Rego

8. all for the toilet/loo/wc
- I still use the good ol' Mr. Clean all purpose cleaners, and Lysol for the loo

9. cleaning agents/materials
- Mr. Clean all purpose cleaner, Lysol, Vim cream cleanser, Windex, Cerabryte for the smooth top stove, Murphy oil for the wood floors

10. anything else you'd like to add
- I also use white vinegar and baking soda to disinfect the kitchen counters and floors. They work wonders. And most importantly, get a fire extinguisher for the kitchen, one valuable lesson I learned when we were shopping for house insurance.

Above all, relax and enjoy married life. There is no way to learn everything instantly, we learn and grow as time goes by.

Busy Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:21:00 +0000

A week ago, a colleague of mine commissioned me to make her a jewelry set for her bestfriend's birthday. I finally managed to finish the set this past long weekend. It came out really nice, I think. She requested a black and white combination. I added a touch of silver bead seeds to make the black beads pop even more. I used the jet black fire-polished beads, mixed with white fresh water rice pearls.

Black and White Set for JC

I also made some yesterday, they are going to be posted on the shop sometime today.

In the meantime, I'm off to send some packages for a couple of friends in the mail. And then maybe do some actual work. Hehehehe! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Happy Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:36:00 +0000

I t's amazing, the feeling you get when you see some stranger walking around wearing the things you made. I saw a lady downtown earlier, she was wearing the red ruby set bead jewelry that I made a while back.

A friend of mine bought the set from me, she said she was giving it away as a birthday gift. I was able to look at it closely, discreetly, so I am almost 100% positive that was it, as she was standing right in front of me, waiting to cross the street. I was about to approach her, but I chickened out...didn't want her to think I was such a freak. Hehehe!

Oh and yeah, a customer who bought one of my turquoise earrings received hers today, and she said she loves it and that she couldn't have been happier. Yey!

That's all, I just thought I'd share as I couldn't keep all the excitement to myself :P

Tag: Cuatro Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:03:00 +0000

Tagged by Odette...Thanks for the tag!

Here’s the rule..

Click copy/paste, type in your answers and tag four people in your lists! Don’t forget to change my answers to the questions with that of yours.

1. Four places I go over and over

~ the beadstore near my place (that's where I get most of my bead supplies)
~ Michael's in Plattsburgh, NY (love going there to look at their new crafting supplies)
~ Mall (our office is located near the mall, so I go there everyday to unwind and window-shop :P)
~ Park near the Saint Lawrence River

2. Four people who e-mail me regularly

~ Charie
~ Kath
~ My boss
~ EJ

3. Four of my favorite places to eat?

~ Bowfinger
~ Baton Rouge
~ Pho Lien
~ Tokyo Restaurant

4. Four places you’d rather be?

~ Home
~ Hawaii
~ Beach
~ my grandparents' farm

5. Four TV shows I could watch over and over.

~ Discovery Television
~ Ugly Betty
~ Kitchen Nightmares
~ Jeopardy

6. Four lucky winners ( of this tag..)

~ Jeanny
~ Caryn
~ Kitty
~ and YOU

Tag: A Great Wife in the 1930's

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:50:00 +0000

T agged by Jeanny. Thanks sis!

You Would Make a Great 1930's Wife

You've got a few retro ways, and you would make the ideal 1930's wife. At least, that's how it looks on paper. You may just be an easygoing, pleasant person. With a personality like yours, you'd be a great wife in any era!

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

Ehem!

We would like to know if YOU would have been a good wife in the 30's.

Productive Week?

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:04:00 +0000

I t has been a "blah" week so far, and there hasn't been much happening in my life these days. Work has been the same, no new challenges to overcome, which I must say is a little boring for yours truly. The weather is a little bit more favorable this week, except for the heavy down-pour on Monday, which I think was brought upon by a storm somewhere south of the border.

I have been spending most of my free time at home though, despite the sunny (but cool) weather. I have been trying to teach myself HTML and CSS...don't ask how that's going...Hahaha!

I've also been busy making this:

©2008 Gracie
and this:©2008 Gracie
oh, and this too:©2008 Gracie

I have addded the blue turquoise necklace on my Etsy Shop today. Please check it out when you get a chance :)

Feeling Crafty

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Y esterday I promised the hubby I was gonna cook him Chili coz he's been bugging for a while now. Well, I got home and started preparing the ingredients for it, I didn't realize that we just run out of the most important ingredient, the chili mix. Actually, that was a lame excuse coz I could have driven to the store to get it, but I was kinda in my lounging clothes already and I was too lazy to change to a more store-appropriate one. So no chili for the hubby, I made him an egg omelette instead...LOL! I will make that for tonight though (fingers crossed).

While waiting for him, I was flicking through channels, but there was nothing on TV except re-runs of CSI NY. I was feeling bored so I started playing with my beads and came up with a few pieces.

I meant to do make this into a bracelet, but a friend of mine stopped by at home while I was making it and requested that I make a necklace out of it for her. So, this won't make it to my online shop. It got snagged before I can post it.

This is definitely going up on my shop later on. I wanted to keep it for myself, but resisted the urge.

Creative Swap

noreply@blogger.com (Gracie) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:34:00 +0000

I have decided to join Caryn's Creative Swap for the first time. I'm actually quite excited. So here's my share of fun!

1. What kind of creative things are you into?
I love beads! All sorts of beads. I love them on jewelries and accessories such as purses.

2. How would you describe your personal style (girly, ethnic, modern, etc)?
I am actually all over the place, hahaha! There are days when I want to be "girly", and days when I really don't bother. But most days, I am just me, plain ol' laid back, Gracie.

3. What are your favorite colors?
I gravitate mostly into lilacs and greens. Oh but I also like earth tones.

4. What is one craft you would like to learn?
Photography. I have always wanted to learn how to "use" the camera properly, learn to take pictures at the correct angle, lighting, etc.

5. What other hobbies are you into?
Reading books and magazines, joy-riding, blogging and my all-time favorite, shopping!

6. What items do you really wish you had right now?
A digital SLR camera! I'm trying to save up for it, though it will most likely take a long time considering I am a shopaholic!

So, hey, why not join in on the fun? Head over to Caryn's blog for more details and to sign up.

Mechanics of the swap:

1. Post the mechanics and logo on your blog and answer the meme. This will serve as reference for the people who will be sending you stuff. Please tag back to Caryn's page so other interested people can also sign up.
2. The swap is on a monthly basis. You will be assigned a swap partner on rotation. Consult the meme that your partner posted on his/her blog and send 4 items.
3. The three items are as follows (1-something you made, 2-a craft material you think he/she would enjoy and 3- a snack or something you like munching on before, during or after the creative rush---It'd be nice to send something interesting from where you are currently based, 4- a short note or card to say 'Hi!')
4. Items should be posted on the last day of each month.
5. Wait to receive your items and then post something about it on your blog.
6. Other crafters who aren't bloggers are also welcome to join; they just have to send me an email with their name, adress and answers to the meme above to be included in the rotation. Emails may be sent to gandarynako-at-yahoo-dot-com.
7. On the first week of each month you will be sent the details of your next swap partner. Please try to keep all details confidential.