Living+Dreaming

National Bookstore Project Aral

2012-05-26T22:48:00.001+08:00

Quietly feeling warm & fuzzy inside. Happy that I was able to take part in this year’s National Bookstore Project Aral. ♥

“Project Aral” is a program by National Bookstore (one of my happy places, especially their books and art supplies sections! ♥) where customers can donate a kit of “2 notebooks + 1 pencil + 1 eraser/sharper” for only Php25.00. After the promo period, which runs until June 30, 2012 for this year, all the kits will be donated to less fortunate students who will be going to school this coming term.

Here’s the product/kit description from their online shop:

“On its fifth year, National Book Store's Project Aral continues to spread smiles to thousands of children across the country.

Project Aral is the National Book Store Foundation's annual back-to-school advocacy campaign. Last year, over 200,000 Project Aral Kits were donated by generous patrons of National Book Store and were distributed to needy children studying in schools stretching from as far north as Cagayan Norte to as far south as Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao.

Each kit contains the basic needs of students in school: two notebooks, a pencil, and a sharpener or an eraser. Project Aral runs from May 11 to June 30, 2012.”

There’s something special whenever I’m around art and school supplies~ A nostalgic sort of happy. Is that just me, or do you get that way too?

I’m encouraging you to participate in the advocacy. And if feeling happy that you are going to be a channel of blessings to less fortunate kids who will be entering school next month isn’t enough of an incentive to you, know that the kits you donate are eligible for the store’s other programs and freebies, especially if you’re a Laking National cardholder. I got a free Utility Keeper Bag and Milo choco drinks, and even got a nifty Multi-Pocket sling bag for only Php100! Just be sure to ask at the Customer Service about them.

Kudos to the staff of NBS Dagupan who man Customer Service area. They’ve always been so sweet, patient, and reliable. Even offered to arranged the kits so I can take a better photo souvenir. ♥

Guimaras Island Province

2012-05-22T23:08:00.001+08:00

Having a few hours free during the GACPA Convention in Iloilo, we decided to take the 15-minute boat ride to the island province of Guimaras. From what I recall, our guide told us that this is one of the smallest provinces in the Philippines. It’s also the youngest too! Only 19 years old. It used to be part of the province of Iloilo, but now the island is a province of its own.

The island province is actually very near that we can see it from our hotel window.

Iloilo in the foreground and Guimaras in the background. Two provinces making up a beautiful scene just by looking out the hotel room’s window! So blessed! ♥

From Iloilo City, it took about 20-30 minutes by taxi to get to the port. The path leading to the boats were rather narrow and it was going to be a relatively a steep fall into the water should I miss a step. So I kept my camera in my bag and my eyes on the path until I was safely seated inside the boat. In short, no pictures! At least, of me boarding~ Haha!

Here are the ones I took when I was snugly seated, enjoying the view and the relaxingly fresh air.

Had mixed feeling seeing these lined up in the middle of the boats roof. I recalled the informational video on the plane on how to use life vests, the plane’s version with all its bells-and-whistles compared to these humble life-savers. I just prayed that we wouldn’t need them in the duration of the trip~! Haha!

Finally reached the port of Guimaras!

And suddenly, a photo of me bag-and-baggage, sunburnt and all, reaching Guimaras! Made it safely across and blessed to have set foot for the first time in the island province. ♥

View of the port of Guimaras.

Travel between Iloilo and Guimaras is almost a daily routine for most locals so there are a lot of boats available even at dusk. Our guide told us that should you like to go to Iloilo in the evening, it’s very possible to charter a boat. Of course, chartering a boat is way more expensive compared to the Php15 fare during regular trips.

Our guide brought us to a monastery, the Trappist Abbey. It was my first time being in one, I think. I liked that there were a lot of trees, the air was clean, and the place seemed peaceful.

The monks there maintain a shack as a sort of apothecary where they keep medicines bought with money donated by patrons, and give those away to the folks in need.

Then we were off to see the beach of Guimaras. Surprise to learn that someone actually owns the beach, that you have to pay an entrance fee, and pass through a resort to get there.

Seeing the white balustrades on the rocky side of the mountain, reminded me of the beautiful beaches Bolinao here in Pangasinan. ♥ I’ve yet to set foot in Hundred Islands though~

Our last stop before heading back, is a place they call “Little Tagaytay”.

I’ve no idea if it was really like Tagaytay ‘coz I’ve never been... but the view is certainly beautiful! ♥ There was also a natural spring at the foot of the mountain. You just got to go down the 311-step stairway to get there! Compare that to the Compare that to the 214-step hill of the Chocolate Hills Complex!

After that, it was time to head back to Iloilo via another boat ride.

Is it just me, or don’t you also find ropes in boats and ships fascinating? Check out the boat’s make-shift ballast.

Prime seat, enjoying the best view. The world is best viewed through a kid’s marveling eyes.

Last look~ Bye bye! It was nice to meet you, Guimaras!

Hello, Iloilo! Nice to see you again.

Fishworld Iloilo 2012

2012-05-20T13:47:00.001+08:00

While waiting for the videos from the Jed Madela Mall Show to finish uploading, I figured it’s a great time to start sharing my Iloilo travel experiences. As usual, I took a lot of photos. But this time around, I try to at least be in some of them; photo-proof that I was actually there!

Welcome to Fishworld! A small museum/learning center brimming with facts and interesting whatnots about fishes and other sea creatures.

So blessed to actually see a real live sea turtle! At first, I thought it was simply a sculpture. But when it slightly but graceful shifted... Whoa! It was real! I recalled learning about sea turtles and how to save them when we visited Ocean Adventures at Subic last year.

“Me no camera shy! This be my best angle!”

Not missing the chance to saying ‘Hello’ and take a photo of the gentle sea turtle.

A lion fish in one of the many small fish tanks flanking one of the sides of the fish museum/learning center. I’m always fascinated with lion fishes. They look like they are wearing colorful draperies in the water! Like MBLAQ in their music video, Cry~♥ So fashionable! Lol~

Next to the real live sea turtle, these fishes are my most interesting find! They look like alien fishes! Or like a real life version of characters I only see in Cartoon Network! There was no label on the fish tank (or I got too excited and just missed it) so I don’t know what these funny yellow – lime green sea creatures are called. Do you know?

Seeing that he has a fan, this little one came closer... generously offering a kiss~♥

Giving me the angled glare ‘coz I refused to stick my lips on the other side of the tank!

Live starfish! I like how it raised one of its arms... Like gesturing hello to this wide-eyed tourist. Hello too you too Patrick!!!♥

Took a quick video to show you how its suctions seemed to dance~!

This is one of the hanging fish hides in the learning center. It's an Oceanic Sunfish "Mola Mola". This kind of fish lives in the open sea, likes to "sunbathe" at the surface and feeds on planktonic invertebrates. This particular fish was caught by cargadores off the port of Parola, Iloilo City last November 2005.

According to its label, it was "kept in formalin, buried 6 months later, exhumed after 2 years, skin retained and repaired". That's how it ended up looking as it is now.

Loving these beautiful wall art! Beautiful, colorful, and creative illustrations!♥

Look! Even the posts that held the aquarium tanks were artfully painted! ♥

Koi fish tapestry hanging on the Fishworld Curator’s office door.

Koinobori! ♥ The posts around the learning center were decorated koi fish flags! ♥ Another first: Seeing actual koinobori with my own eyes! ♥

I’m seeing a lot of this style of artwork online lately so it was another pleasant surprise to see real life samples. It’s almost like recycling: painting over old book pages. I tried reading the text on the painted pages, but they were not written in English. Apparently, these weren’t just recycled random pieces of papers ‘coz the text seem to be related to painted objects.

Here are other tidbits of curiosities in the learning center. There were so much more interestingness, but we just dropped by and could only spare a short while marveling and taking pictures of and with anything we can. The rest you can just see in person; so if you’re headed to Iloilo, don’t forget to check out this place.

And lastly, a pair of sea turtles bidding us farewell as we continued on our Iloilo tour~♥

So This is Jed Madela

2012-05-19T23:26:00.001+08:00

So this is Jed Madela. I’ve been hearing about him from my friends and I know he is a famous singer, but it’s my first time to actually see who he is.

My friends are fans of his songs and were really pinning to catch him live during his CD signing & show at one of the malls here in Dagupan City the other Friday, May 11, 2012. Driving like the wind, and smartly avoiding the after-office rush hour, my friends (with me tagging along bag-and-baggage) were lucky to arrive just as the show started.

Two of my friends bought his CDs that day. It was so cool having a little taste of VIP treatment (thanks to one of our friend’s friend) as we were ushered onto the stage avoiding the line of eager fans who were also waiting to have their CDs signed.

That’s how we got a ticket to get photo ops with him on stage. Well, in my case, “of him”. Though I enjoy taking pictures and camera life, it would have been nice to have at least a shot of our group with me in it. Oh well~ It was great fun just the same, especially since it was my first time attending a singer’s mall show and CD signing event. It was a blessing, and I’m really thankful.♥

I was glad that Jed got my friend’s name right. But then I was told that he asked for the spelling of her name before signing. That was really thoughtful and sweet of him towards his fans, don’t you think so too? I think that’s another reason why they adore him. Fans can be so energetic to the point of being hyper too!

He sang a number of songs and even humored the crowd by singing a stanza or two of their song requests. His crowd really love him. And my friends were no exception. Aha!

My friend took videos of his singing using my phone. But since the videos still need trimming, downloading from my phone to my laptop, and then uploading to my YouTube, I’ll just share them with you in a separate post. Please look forward to it. ♥

Also, I just got back from a trip to Iloilo! So excited to share with you guys travel photos, tidbits, and whatnots. And I will, soon. Just need to sort through the hundreds of pictures to pick out the best ones, and also clear up my clutter that is my luggage from my room.

Fruit Float Cake Recipe

2012-02-28T06:30:00.000+08:00

Just got the recipe for the delicious cake with melts-in-your-mouth meringue topping! The recipe, and the cake here are by Racky Rosario. All photographs, and the pleasure of the enjoying the cake, are all mine though~ :9 Lol! The cake has 3 parts: the chiffon cake, meringue, and the filling.

Chiffon Cake ingredients

250g cake flour
150g sugar
5g salt
7pcs egg yolks
100g oil
110g water (or fresh orange juice)
10g baking powder
5g baking soda
1tbsp vanilla

Meringue Ingredients

7pcs egg whites
5g cream of tartar
150g sugar

Cake Filling

3 packs Nestle All Purpose Cream, chilled
1/3 condensed milk
5 tbsp (or to your preferred sweetness) white sugar
canned fruits

Closed-up view of the top layer of the cake. Lovely warm colors under the morning sun! Yum! ♥

Because it was assembled in a clear microwave ready container, you can see the layers of the cake in this picture.

Here’s a slice of the cake. It was carefully quartered then slowly lifted from the container. It looks prettier in person. Slicing and transferring the slice to a flat clear tray gave it an almost grungy texture ^^; That’s entirely my fault. But it doesn’t change how tasty the cake is! ♥

Cooking Directions

Combine cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Sift and set aside.
Cream the egg yolks. Then add the sugar and oil. Add the flour mixture, water and vanilla. Mix well then set aside.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean glass or metal bowl (not plastic). Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed or with a rotary beater until egg whites form peaks with tips that curl over when the beaters are lifted. Add the sugar then continue beating on high speed until they form peaks with tips that stand straight when the beaters are lifted.
Fold the meringue in the batter. Bake the cake mixture in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes for about 150°C or 300°F. Allow to cool.
Slice the chiffon cake into ½ inch thick pieces.
Whip the chilled cream, then add the milk and sugar. Mix the canned fruits into the mixture.
Spread the cream over the sliced cake to make as many layers as desired.
Then top with sliced peaches and/or your favorite fruits.
Chill. Serve. Enjoy! ♥

Lovely cake perfect with warm green tea! Have you tried fruit float cake before? Would you like to try and make one?

Follow Racky Rosario and her delicious hearty recipes via her Facebook, FB Page, and Tumblr. You can also contact her for your recipe questions and maybe requests. Or you can also leave a comment in this post and I’ll make sure your feedback reaches her. ^^

Do share this post with your friends, and who knows, they might try out the recipe and then share their tasty cake outcome with you. ^^

Here are other great recipes for you to try:

The Art of kiDChan

2012-02-26T14:14:00.001+08:00

Art Inspiration Feature #18 goes to one of my favorite young artist: Beatrice Tan (Tan Kit Mun) who is more widely known online and in the manga-anime style illustration community as “kiDChan”. The 25-year old creative talent is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Her works were among the firsts to captivate me when I joined DeviantART some time ago. I really like her use of colors—sometimes bold, sometimes muted—but in mixes and hues uncommon that give her works a mysterious and secretive atmosphere. Her slender, thoughtful, and evocative characters nested in flowing lines and patterns create beautiful compositions that are so interesting to gaze at as a whole and to look at closer to enjoy the many details. Been a fan of her works for many years now, and even now I still find her illustrations—both digital, traditional, or both—beautiful and wonderfully unique.

Stay up-to-date with her latest artworks, exhibits, and events participations. Connect via her official Facebook Page: CyanParade - The Art of kiDChan, Twitter @cyanparade, tumblr account where she shares commission works, work-in-progress, and sketches: cyanparade.tumblr.com, deviantART: kidchan.deviantart.com, and CGHub profile: kidchan.cghub.com. You can buy prints of her artworks at her Society6 page.

You can check out WACOM’s interview of kiDChan. And also, get a glimpse of her digital painting process in one of her workflow progress videos here below:

Hope you enjoy kiDChan’s beautiful and unique artworks. Do support her work by telling your friends about her art. You can also start by sharing this post via Facebook, Twitter, or your favorite bookmarking and image sharing site. ♥

More Art Inspiration Feature Posts listed below:

Paint Poplar Trees

2012-02-21T22:26:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I managed to start 2 more watercolor sketches for my sketchbook project. I’m planning on doing 12 in total. First, was the Blue Hydrangeas, and I’ve already shown you its progress shots a few days ago. Today, I would like to share the progress shots of one of the 2 new watercolor sketches. It’s my free flow sketch of a bunch of purple poplar trees. Also put in brief explanations of how I painted and sketched the trees so I hope you enjoy and find this simple tutorial post helpful. ^^

Using my favorite thin Chinese brush, I painted the trunks and large branches of the trees using light washes of purple and black. Then I put in even lighter washes of blue for the sky. Just 3 washes of colors, no mixing. I’m adopting my free flowing sketch style to watercolor and pencil combinations in this sketchbook project. Thought it would give the sketchbook a more relaxed but expressive feeling to it. ^^

Here’s a closer look at the tree trunks. You can see the jagged, broken, and nearly random combination of paint strokes together making almost parallel lines to indicate the individual tree trunks. In the trunk at the lower left hand corner, I’ve already started to sketch its outline in pencil.

More pencil marks. I enjoy sketching the trunks. Using quick, short, and near heavy pencil strokes, I drew in the trunks’ outlines, and also the dark spots and lines characteristic of the trees. I really like that about them, by the way. So charming, don’t you think? ^^ Same kind of pencil strokes for the tinier branches, only the tinier the branches the lesser the pencil pressure.

More branches in pencil and I’ve finished outlining all the trunks. Didn’t I tell you I like sketching them?

Okay, so I’ll leave the finished piece for another post because this is where I ended for that day. At least, for this sketch work. Still need to put in the hundreds and hundreds of teeny-tiny branches which I will finish drawing in within the week~ ^^; Still, the sketching process, or technique if like to call it, will be pretty much the same as I’ve already shown you... so you probably already picture how this page will look~ ^^But I hope you will still look forward to the finished version! ♥

I like poplar trees. But I don’t think these trees grow in my part of the world. I’ve only seen them in pictures thus far. Maybe one day I can see poplar trees in person~♥

Do you like poplar trees too? Do they grow in your neck of the woods? ^^

Kaname☆ Cosplay

2012-02-19T06:00:00.000+08:00

About the same time last year, I started a series here at Living+Dreaming where I share with you artists and their artworks which I find creative, beautiful and inspiring—definitely deserving of even more love for their wonderful talents and creations. This series was slotted to run for 52 weeks every Sunday.

During the last quarter of last year however, the weekly posting schedule became too tight at the time plus towards the year all the pictures of my posts were eaten away by malware. But that was last year. This time, I’ve decided to pick up where I left off... and follow through with the original plan. Despite the setback, I will do my best to move forward with this art feature project of mine while reconstructing the earlier posts of this series. I hope you will again look forward to these art inspiration posts. All posts under this series project will be tagged “Art Inspiration Feature”. ♥

My 17th post! To those who got their fingertips on the cosplay pulse, this very creative and versatile artist needs no introduction. Kaname Shiroboshi, who is widely known in his online name “Kaname☆”, is a very accomplished, respected, and well-known Japanese cosplayer.

His cosplay of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7 was his debut character (I think) in the world of cosplay that catapulted him to his well-deserved place in the otaku community. And if you are a fan of Cloud Strife like I am, you can see in his cosplay pictures that the resemblance is awesomely otherworldly! Cloud Strife in the flesh! As with the other characters he choses to portray, his attention to details and how he takes on their persona transports the characters from their fictional worlds into the real world... even if just for a few moments or as long as Kaname dons the costume and gets into character. :>

Kaname☆: Cloud Strife – Final Fantasy VII

Kaname☆: Kaito – Vocaloids

Kaname☆: Kaito – Black Rock Shooter

Kaname☆: Rokudo Mukuro – Katekyou Hitman Reborn

Kaname☆: Sanji – One Piece

Kaname☆: Ryuzaki – The Royal Servant Butler Cafe

Kaname☆: Gauche Suede – Letter Bee

Kaname☆: Lavi – D.Gray-man

Kaname☆: Kurosaki Ichigo – Bleach

Kaname☆: Portgas D. Ace – One Piece

Kaname☆: Alto Saotome – Macross Frontier

Follow Kaname’s cosplay, event, and even life update through his blog (where you can find information on his photo books and how to buy them), twitter, niconi community page, cosp.jp account, and his recognized fan-made Facebook Page, Kaname Cosplayer. Photo Sources for this post: DannyChoo, Kaname-Lovers, and Kaname Cosplayer.

More Art Inspiration Feature Posts listed below:

Secret Code Puzzle

2012-02-17T20:27:00.001+08:00

We’ve been having dark gloomy, and sometimes rainy, weather for most of the week. Normally, this is the time when the sun starts to gear up to shine its hottest for the upcoming summer season. Although, for most of February, the mornings and evenings are chilly because the wind that blows through the country passed by neighboring countries in their winter season. What’s the weather like right now in your part of the world?

Just this afternoon, I feel that I got over my cold that got me under the weather for 2 days or so. Thanks to the super spicy-hot meals and taking 3x my daily dosage of Vitamin C, I’m feeling better. So if you are starting to feel that this damp weather is starting to get into your immune system and the common colds is starting to knock on your door, make sure to drink your Vitamin C and get plenty of rest. ^^

Also~ I got a little challenge for you. Can you can crack this code and tell me the secret message hidden by these paper tiles? The title of this secret message puzzle is “X THE X”. You can see a clearer and more complete view of the page in the next photo.
Other pages of my sketchbooks below:

If you see the hidden message, feel free to write it down your best guess in the comment box below. You can also challenge your friends, family, and followers to crack the puzzle by sharing the link to this post. Have fun with the puzzle! And be sure to have a lovely relaxing weekend ahead!

Life You Deserve

2012-02-14T22:04:00.001+08:00

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you wonderful readers and followers of Living+Dreaming! *hugs*
May the love you share to the world find its way back to you in wonderful ways you have yet to imagine... in healthy measures you deserve... and more often than you think possible. ♥ If we pay love forward, there will be more of it to go around, right? :)

Dedicating to you all a page on my sketchbook. (Pictures are all I have of this Sketchbook ^^; because I submitted it to the Brooklyn Art Library by Art House Coop last year. I’m missing it already. But I hope it fares well in its new home with its fellows from around the world. If you would like to see the sketchbook, please follow this link. ^^ Or if you’re passing by New York and have got time to spare, please say ‘hi’ to my sketchbook for me~^^ )
Sometimes, or more often than we expect, living can feel like swimming upstream. Upstream as we continue to strive to continue to learn, grow and improve everyday. But swimming against the current to reach a goal can be tiring, and during those times, it’s tempting to just surrender and go with the flow... wherever that may lead downstream.

“Live the life you deserve” because it reflects how much you value your time in this world, and also because “you deserve as much”. Love your time. Love your life. Live meaningfully. Happy Hearts Day! ♥

Have you sent out special Valentine’s Day greetings? Or maybe shared a bit of thoughtfulness today? ^^

Blue Hydrangeas

2012-02-13T22:05:00.001+08:00

I think the last time I painted was for The Sketchbook Project 2011. So after almost a year, I mustered up a bit of courage and brought out my art supplies out of their cozy sleeping corners. My submission for The Sketchbook Project 2012 is still waiting for me.

This is one of the beauties of this project for me: it pressures me to draw something, paint something, express something. I think I’m often the thinking type when it comes to projects, so I tend to over analyze and plan that I fall into the paralysis where I fear my abilities are far from my expected outcome. That’s when my sketchbooks are left blank, pencils left sharp, and brushes stiff dry. But with the project, I’ve invested a good sum of my hard-earned money to be able to participate. So rather than let my investment and perfectly charming little project-issue sketchbook go to waste, I decided to just forgive the gap between ability and expectation and just enjoy the project for what it is: free expression.

My theme is “Travel With Me” (last time, I chose “Secret Codes”). These past weeks, thinking of this project, I always get an image of a garden of blue hydrangeas. I have a curiosity about these blue flowers, where I find them magical in a way. And I have almost always pictured them either under the rain or just after a good rain where flowers glisten with the sunlight refracted through the raindrops. Blue hydrangeas particularly. Maybe the elders discouraging blue flowers has something to do with it.

These are just progress shots by the way. I took them while taking a rest sketching in the details and waiting for the paint to dry, literally. This is just a quick light-hearted sketch in watercolor and mechanical graphite pencil. No strict reference to the actual hydrangeas; just my impression of the suffusion of clusters of blue on nests of green.
I would love to share with you how the page turns out. And I hope it turns out okay enough for me to share it with you. ^^;

Do you like hydrangeas? Do they grow in your part of the world? Would you be interested in a tutorial on how to quickly paint hydrangeas? It will be wonderful to read your thoughts and feedback. ^^

Banana Cashew Raisin Cake

2012-01-25T20:58:00.001+08:00

Forgive me. I’m going to make your mouth water... :9
One of pleasant surprises on the last day of 2011 was this very inviting loaf of Banana-Cashew-Raisin Cake. The name is quite a mouthful but you won’t have any doubts about what’s in the unassuming but gorgeous-looking loaf. I call it the “BCR Cake” for obvious brevity and to put in a hint of mystery~

Nope, I did not bake this. I merely had the delightful honor of doing a photoshoot with it, and then having it (with its best breakfast buddy, good old coffee! ♥) as my last breakfast for the year 2011. This was my part of good friend’s homemade hobbies. I asked for the recipe so I can share it with you along with these delicious looking pictures~ *nom nom nom*

Banana Cashew Raisin Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

♨ 2 1/2 cups cake flour
♨ 2 teaspoons baking powder
♨ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
♨ 1 teaspoon vanilla
♨ 3 eggs
♨ 1/2 cup butter, softened
♨ 2 cups white sugar
♨ 6-8 pieces banana (preferably lacatan), mashed
♨ 1 cup cashew nuts, coarsely chopped
♨ 1 cup raisin
♨ salt

Directions:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, and then mix sugar and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in mashed banana, chopped nuts, and raisins. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Most important step: serve and enjoy! ♥ The cake loaf looks even prettier sliced, arranged, and basking in the early morning sunshine~ :)

Here is how the cake loaf slices look after a generous drizzle of glistening honey. Yum yum! ♥

The recipe looks so simple, right? How about trying it out and then share with us how your BCR Cake turns out. Pictures would be lovely! ♥ I bet looking at all these pictures made you hunger for some sweets~ :9

Here are her other baked goodies with recipes for you to try:
♨ Party Carrot Cupcakes
♨Apple Cinnamon Cake

Healthy Yogurt

2012-01-21T15:37:00.001+08:00

Yogurt-lover! Yep, that’s me. Do you enjoy eating yogurt too? ♥ First time I’ve had one was last April 2011 when I went up to Baguio City to do some outdoor nature photo shoots for my “A Million Little Pictures” (AMLP) submission. Then around mid last year, a yogurt place opened right across the street to my apartment. Just a couple of months after, another one opened in the heart of the city! It had started to rain yogurt! Haha~!

Part sour, part sweet, and with the consistency of ice cream. This is a new way of enjoying yogurt for me. Before the yogurt places in our area, I enjoyed the fruit-flavored or sometimes with fruit tidbits ones that come in single serving cups from the grocery stores. I would chuck them in the freezer (which I still do even now~), and enjoy them with a texture that’s almost sorbet-like. But with the frozen yogurt or ice cream-like variety, I’ve discovered the many ways yogurt can be enjoyed just by being creative with different toppings and combinations. ^^

This morning, I sliced what’s left of the strawberries from last Saturday and the seedless grapes I bought last Fruit Friday. I call Fridays at the office “Fruit Fridays” because almost without fail the fruit peddler comes to visit to sell us fresh fruits. Since I’m still so inspired by Jaime’s Food Revolution which I first saw last year, I decided to skip the chocolates and other similar sugar-charged toppings and try out my own mix of Healthy Fruit Yogurt. ^^

More seedless grapes and fresh strawberries sliced by yours truly. Well, they’re not as prettily sliced as I would have wanted because I was rushing and racing against...

...the quick melting of my plain yogurt! See how the beautiful creases are being dulled away by room temperature!

Look how the pretty cone tip of my plain yogurt ice cream is melting away its shape~ So I took quick snaps of my cut fruits, the yogurt itself, and then hurriedly put in all the slices of fruits.

I never thought that the slices would cover the entire yogurt! Felt richly blessed and satisfied that my yogurt cup overflowed with fresh healthy fruits that I bought and sliced! It was a simple yet proud moment for me~ ♥ But you know how geeky I can be sometime with these things~ ^^;

Tang-sweet plain yogurt, plus tangy strawberries, plus sweet grapes makes for a synergy that’s definitely more delicious than the tastes of its parts! Lol! ^^

Took a few more artsy sort of snaps. The glistening of the fruits made nice bokehs that were hard to resist! ♥

After that, it was time to devour the pretty overflowing cup of healthy blessings! ♥ Super yum! You should try this yogurt combo too some time. What’s your favorite yogurt combo?

Hong Kong Disneyland Food

2012-01-15T15:53:00.001+08:00

One of the many things I think about when traveling to new places is how much food is going to cost. It’s especially true when I get to travel abroad. That’s when I have to convert my money to foreign currencies, and consequently suffer drops in purchasing power (in plain words: value of my money) quite a notch or more. ^^;

Travel fares and accommodations often takes the lion’s share of my travel budget. Close second is expenses for food. How about you? Which expenses are your top 3 travel budget eaters? ^^

I Google a lot about food costs in the places I’m headed before making up my budget. I would love to pay it forward, so I’m going to share with you my travel food experiences, and hope you will find it useful. Food from Hong Kong Disneyland from my first visit some time ago in November 2011 is up first.

Lunch time at Hong Kong Disneyland at the outdoor place somewhere in the middle of Fantasyland. For us non-Chinese speakers (and readers), it was heaven-sent that the menu is also written in English. And not only the name of the dish, but also what makes up the dish too! Tremendous help, I was really grateful. <3

Not so happy with the food prices though. The dishes are HK$65 or HK$68. Since I bought my HK$ for Php5.70 each, the dishes would actually cost me Php370.50 or Php387.60! T^T

In the same food place, the previous menu are served on one side, and right above are the set of dishes served on the other side. A bit more affordable compared to the other menu set, but nonetheless still pricey. ^^; HK$58 and HK$60 translated into my home currency are about Php330.60 and Php342.

Still, I have to eat especially with a super humble breakfast of just-add-hot-water instant noodles at the hotel. So this lane was my best choice. You can order just by saying the number of the dish, just like ordering value meals here in the Philippines. I went for #3 (or was it #1?) and my sister got #2.

They have large ladles making for large servings. I think that’s value for money, especially if I had known beforehand that 1 serving is good for 2.5 persons! I just finished my dish with the mindset that I’m having super late breakfast, on-time lunch, and advancing my afternoon snack! Lol! ^^

The taste was, well, not so spectacular. I got the funny feeling that the 2 dishes were cooked in the same wok and served with the same ladle... although my logic would say otherwise, of course. The best spice for the dishes was the thought that I’m actually having lunch at Hong Kong Disneyland! Instantly, lunch was super awesome. Life, is a matter of perspective, as they say. <3

Also bought 12oz Coke (forgot how much it was ^^; ) to go with my lunch. It was the best nourishment (sugar for energy!) I had for most of that day!

Pizza Cone at the Toy Story Land. The name says it all. It’s a pizza shaped like a cone. Think piping hot pizza-flavored ice cream! This one was super delicious! Best eaten slow, not only because it was so hot, the quick melt cheese makes fun spider web-like threads in each bite! Yum! <3 It costs about HK$20 – HK$26 (Php114 – Php148.20), I forgot to take a picture of the pricelist. ^^;

Dinner was at the Tomorrow Land. Most of the dishes listed here at the Fiery Wok were already sold out by the time we got there, so we just hopped on over at the adjacent lane. Sis got #3 here though.

Have another look-see at the menu at the Fantasyland at the top of this post and then look at the menu right above. Notice anything? ^^

More dishes not in the previous main menu display. Half a slice of salted egg for HK$6 (Php34.20)... Hmm, that’s about the price of a dozen medium eggs here in the Philippines. ^^;

I got the Three Treasure Specialties with Rice (above), and here below is the Fried Pork Chop in Black Pepper Onion Sauce with Rice. Do you somehow feel like wiping clean those drops and dribbles on the sides of the plates, or is it just me? ^^;

One thing I like about the cafeteria dining places in Hong Kong Disneyland is that they give you a “utensils pack”. Each pack had a spoon, a fork, a pair of chopsticks, a Chinese spoon (for soups), and a paper table napkin. I think it’s pretty neat and hygienic, don’t you think?

Thanks 2011, Hello 2012!

2012-01-10T22:01:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a beautiful Christmas and New Years’ holiday.

Thank you to Readers & Supporters

First up, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who had read and supported my blog in 2011. It was truly enjoyable sharing with you my thoughts and experiences in the past year. I hope you will continue to visit and share this blog with your friends. Expect that I will continue to grow my blog so it can help more people—even if it means just making you smile to brighten your day.

Looking Back at 2011

Bangus Art Wall 2011

Second, I would like to say that the year 2011 has been truly wonderful for me. I’ve been privileged to travel and visit many places I’ve never been before, complete my “100 Motivational Photography Posts” challenge, and even joined the international art and photography exhibits, “The Sketchbook Project 2011” and “A Million Little Pictures” to name a few.

Geekery at a Science Exhibit 8D

A Million Little Pictures (AMLP): Photomobile

Art Sets for Christmas Giveaways

I’m also glad to have been able to share with you some Photoshop tutorials, tidbits on photography, and downloable wallpapers for your computers and smart phones. It’s both a pleasure and challenge making these things for you; pleasure—because it’s fun to be able to share, and challenge—because as I share I also learn loads. I hope you enjoyed the freebies. ^^

My Submissions for AMLP: Photomobile

There are actually still loads of stories, photographs, and tips I’ve picked up and learned in 2011 that I’m excited to share with all of you.

Living+Dreaming New Address

I’m on blogspot now. After all the photos were wiped clean during the malware attack on my blog last November 2011, I’ve realized that much of my “blogging time” was actually spent on “maintenance time” rather than on actually blogging. When I started Living+Dreaming (“Living and Dreaming” then) in 2008, I didn’t have any maintenance stress like I’ve experienced when I self-hosted my blog in April 2010. So, I’ve moved my blog to a fresh new location, filled with hope that I’d be able to enjoy blogging even more this year! ^^

Looking back, my blog is now on its third home in the web. From “mikadzuki.wordpress.com”, then to “www.lightbubbles.com/livingdreaming” (for which I bought the domain name “gedcarpizo.com” after a year or so), and currently it’s “gedcarpizo.blogspot.com”. ^^

[Updated] ~~As of now, going to “gedcarpizo.com” will redirect you to “gedcarpizo.blogspot.com”. But I’m hoping to tie up loose ends and fix that soon.~~ Domain name had properly up and running again. Thanks to my mgcarpizo who fixed the whatchamacallits. Internal links are still iffy though ^^; ~~because of the URL change~~ despite the primary URL being fixed, but I hope to sweep all the links clean at the soonest. Would anyone want to volunteer to help me? Pretty please~~ ♥

---

Anyway, that’s about it for now. Again, thank you so much for all your support. And I pray that we all have a meaningful new year ahead! ＼(⌒▽⌒)／

Ocean Adventure Learning Center

2011-11-07T14:00:00.000+08:00

Earlier this year, I was able to visit Ocean Adventures at Subic Bay Freeport Zone with a bunch of friends. It was last May 21, 2011, and it was just an ordinary Saturday, not a long weekend for planning long trips out of town. But with God’s blessing, it was like a whirlwind of quick planning. Before we knew it, we were on a ride to see the dolphins, sea lions, and the whales!

There are loads to share about Ocean Adventures in Subic, and of course, a whole bunch of pictures! But instead of having an overwhelmingly long post, or probably just dumping pictures of the little nooks and crannies of the places, I decided to break them up in to delicious bite-size posts. That way, I could share a bit more about my memorable visit, and not just share photos with quick captions. And also, so you can have a wee bit better of an idea about the place to maybe help you plan ahead and enjoy your visit even more. :)

Today, I want to show you around the Learning Center. Looks like a classroom, doesn’t it? Well, it probably is. I wasn’t able to attend the class though, but I was there with some friends to escape the scorching heat of the mid-morning summer sun. So I just happen to (literally) run into the place. ^^;

Of course, with all the interestingness plastered and painted around the walls, I took quick pictures to review when I got home. So even if I was not able to attend the class, I could still pick up (and share with you guys) all the lessons written on the wall! ^^

Should’ve gone for a closer look at the stuff at the back, and also those small frame thingies on the left. I’m regretting it now. ^^;

Facts written on the back wall:

On the brown wooden board~

“The forest dwelling CLOUD RATS are the biggest and most beautiful rats in the world. What makes them more special is the fact that they are found only here in the Philippines.”

On the giant green leaf~

“The OWL can catch a mouse in utter darkness. Guided only by tiny sounds made by its prey.”
On the bamboo trellis sign~

“CRAB-EATING or long-tailed MACAQUES are good swimmers and can jump into the water from a nearby tree.”
On the low log signboard~

“The PHILIPPINE RAINFORESTS are home to 12,000 plant species and 960 animal species, many found nowhere else on Earth.”

Cloud Rat

Crab-Eating Macaques

Philippine Eagle-Owl

I found these 3 gorgeous photographs above from ARKive, a site “creating the ultimate multimedia guide to the world's endangered animals, plants and fungi.” Please visit their site to see and learn more about these endangered species. ^^

More writings on the wall, going from left to right~

“This BLUE WHALE is 23 feet (7 meters) long and weighs 3 tons (3,000 kg.). They can grow to be 100 feet long and 30 tons. How tall are you?”

“The Blue Whale is the largest animal in the world.”

“The whistle of the Blue Whale is louder than the sound of a jet plane.”

“There are two kinds of whales: the ones with teeth and the one with Baleen. Blue Whale is a Baleen Whale.”

“The skeleton of a Blue Whale can weigh more than 50,000 pounds. A human skeleton usually weighs less than 25 pounds.”

This is how the stage looked like. It’s the story of Pawee, the “pawikan” (Tagalog term for “sea turtle”). I’m guessing much of the discussion will be on sea turtles. The signboard for the room (first picture in this post) was a very telling sign, indeed. :)

So here are what’s written on the labels of the 7 pictures on the wall. It shares the current plight of sea turtles and why they are facing extinction, being listed as one of our endangered species.

1 - Hi! I'm Pawee and I am a sea turtle. I am one of the wild animals that visit Ocean Adventure. The people there are happy and excited when I arrive. They asked me to tell my story.

2 - My life began as an egg, buried deep below the sand of a beautiful beach, with 99 other eggs that were my brothers and sisters.

3 - One night, a man came and dug out our nest. He took 50 eggs, which were my siblings, and sold them in the market.

4 - When my 49 brothers, and sisters, and me finally hatched, we dug our way to the surface and began our race to the sea. Along the way, some of my family were eaten by birds, crabs, and dogs.

5 - Some people took a few of my siblings and ... be their pets. But ... need the ocean to live in... [Note: Sadly, the plastic cover of the label reflected the light, so I couldn’t make out some of the words. Hopefully, you get the general idea of the label just the same ^^; ]

6 - Sadly, only a few of us actually made it to the sea. Once we got bigger, people would try to catch us to make stuff like jewelry and combs out of our shells, boots and purses out of our skins.

7 - When I grew up and was ready to lay eggs of my own, I came back to the same seashore where I was born. I found buildings, roads, and bright lights on my beach so I had to look for a new home for my nest.

This is how Baleen Whales feed: gulping, skimming, and suctioning. These belong to the type of whales that have no teeth~

More sea turtle talk! Sharing to visitors how plastic bags thrown into the ocean and irresponsible use of drift nets are hurting them.

“One of my brothers thought a floating plastic bag was a jellyfish and ate it. Many sea turtles make that mistake and die.”

“Life in the ocean is dangerous. While I was swimming, I almost got caught in a drift net. It was a good thing I was able to break free. I would have drowned.”

I’ve learned a lot reviewing the pictures from the Ocean Adventure Learning Center, I hope you learned a thing or two about the plight of sea turtles from this post too. Feel free to share this post with your friends and followers to spread information about the endangered sea turtles.

Oh! By the way, have you ever seen a cute sea turtle up close and personal? ^^

12 Cloud Seeders Artwork by Meomi

2011-11-06T14:00:00.000+08:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the super cute house of Meomi!.. which is also my 16th Inspirational Sunday post. :)

The picture above is actually just a snapshot of the top and bottom of the tall, super cute, and addictively interactive house that will greet you once you visit their site’s homepage (which I highly recommend you visiting... after you finished reading this post, of course!)

So what is Meomi? As it says in their treehouse above, Meomi is “a little design studio dedicated to play, delight, and goodliness.” There are two people who are behind Meomi: Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy, who are from Vancouver, Canada and Los Angeles, USA, respectively.

If you visit their site, which I hope you would, there are loads of cute, silly, colorful, and truly delightful critters that you will meet... but my personal favorites are the ones from “The Cloud Seeders”. And for this Inspirational Sunday post, I would like to share with you snippets from the visit of Johnny Cloudseed to the Kachi Kingdom through the works of art by Meomi... made available in their website as downloadable desktop calendar wallpapers. I use these as wallpapers even now... just need to remember that it’s not 2008 anymore~...

“Johnny Cloudseed’s first flight into the Kachi Kingdom with his grandfather.”

“Johnny helps the Kachis harvest Plumberry Blossoms for spring.”

“Johnny marches in front of the Pussywillow Parade.”

“Kachipants enjoy the occasional April shower.”

“Johnny helps prune the magical white squirrel bonsai tree.”

“Baby Junebugs like to stay warm by the fire at night.”

“During the summertime, Johnny and the Kachis collect leftover raindrops from the last Spring.”

“During the summer, Kachi drumming thunders through the clouds.”

“It’s always a difficult task making the pinecone kachi come inside for Autumn.”

“Come October, the Ghost lantern plants are lit one by one with care.”

“Kachis gather to enjoy the harvest together.”

“In the winter time, Johnny and Grandpa Cloudseeder hand out mugs of hot cocoa by the frozen lake.”

It’s like seeing a teaser of a fun children’s book, isn’t it? Seeing Meomi’s artworks never fails to make me smile and brighten up my day. No wonder I still use these as wallpapers even though the dates had come and gone~

Do visit their official website at www.meomi.com and download these desktop wallpapers. You can check out their online store for interesting merchandises featuring critters from “The Cloud Seeder” and many more of their wonderful stories. You can also get nice art prints from Meomi from their society6 gallery. Add them as a friend too in Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. :)

I hope today’s Inspirational Sunday post brought sunshine in your day. If it did, please don’t forget to share this post with your friends via the different share buttons below. Comments, and even “Hello”s are very much welcome in the comment boxes. Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone! ♥

The Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-11-05T23:13:00.000+08:00

You’ve guessed it! I’ve joined the The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour! :)

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, or happen to get lost among the posts in the archives, you’ll see that this is my second time joining The Sketchbook Project by Art House Coop. I’ve enjoyed being on the first one (although it was not without its fair share of stressing over even the simple details which I seem to have a special knack for~), when I received an email for the 2012 World Tour, I wanted to be on it again!

I think I’ve yet to post about my sketchbook from The Sketchbook Project 2011. I’m pretty sure I’ve taken pictures of the contents of the project kit, though after a hasty rummage of my drives and memory cards nothing turns up... yet. ^^ For now, please check out the posts below to see some pages of my submissions for The Sketchbook Project 2011:

Forest Year

It Never Rains Forever

So let me continue telling you about the current kit for The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour. I was actually surprised about how different it is from the previous one, even though I’ve read from their site and emails that improvements on last year’s sketchbooks were then in the works.

The envelope in which the project kit arrived in. The postman delivered a notification card, and I had to claim it from the post office where I paid 40php (about US$0.93) to get my hands on the package itself.

The mail was from Art House Coop of Brooklyn, New York, USA and was postmarked September 16, 2011 which is a day after I signed up for the project. Then I received my project kit sometime in October. That’s quick service! :)

These are the contents of the package: the sketchbook and the project manual. I was a tad disappointed because I thought there’d be a Library/ID card for the 2012 project too.

This is the one I received last year. One side shows the “Official Library Card” while the other side shows “The Sketchbook Project 2011 Participating Artist”. It would have been awesome to have one that says “2012 Participating Artist” for the current project too. An offline proof that I’ve been part of the 2012 community of artists whose sketchbooks are being exhibited in places that I haven’t even been to yet! Would it still be possible to ask for one? :)

Here’s the instructional brochure for The Sketchbook Project 2012. I love the cover art and the cute little illustrations too! ♥

It contains the welcome message, rules and guidelines, and even more tips to make the finished sketchbook more durable, storable, and of course make the lives of those who will handle the sketchbook less hassled. :)

The last day of submission to the post office is on January 31, 2012, and the tour will start on April of the same year. As of today, these are the places where the sketchbooks will be exhibited.

To friends living in any of the places above, don’t forget to visit the exhibit and check out my sketchbook! :)

And now for the sketchbook! This year’s sketchbook is a Scout Book by Pinball Publishing of Portland, Oregon. I saw the branding printed one the last page, near its binding. A quick search about Scout Books, and I learned that it was made with 100% recycled materials sourced from paper mills in the company’s locality. Environment-friendly sketchbook... that’s one of the great reasons I love this year’s sketchbook! ♥

The sketchbook is smaller than the last one with a dimension of 5 x 7 inches. The cover is sturdier and thicker being made of chipboard. The pages are white and thick, almost like a substance 20 book paper, unlike the previous one whose pages where yellow-brownish in color and thinner or flimsier. There is a nice semi-rough texture on the pages’ surface, which I expect to lend well to pencil sketches and absorb watercolors better, compared to the previous one’s which easily crinkle with watercolor, and pencil sketch marks for me were meh because of the super smooth surface.

Other than missing the yellow-brownish hue of the pages of the previous sketchbook, the new one looks very promising and I’m excited to use/sketch/paint on directly without sticking another paper onto its surface.

Here’s the back side of the sketchbook. “Travel with Me” is the theme I chose for this year. Last time it was “Secret Codes”.

Another comparison to last year’s sketchbook is the binding. As you can see, this year’s uses staples to hold the pages together. Last year, the pages were “sewed” onto the cover.

So that’s my kit, and its brief review, for The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour. I’m excited to start working on my sketchbook so I can have it postmarked earlier! Don’t be deceived! January 31, 2012 is quickly creeping through my door right this instant! Haha! ^^

I’ll post more about the project, sharing with you my progress on the pages (and on the cover too!), in the coming days. So I hope you’ll drop by again soon. ^^

How about you? Have you tried joining The Sketchbook Project? Or maybe a similar community art project? Please feel free to share with us your thoughts on the comment box below.

Courage: Free Wallpaper

2011-10-29T18:32:00.000+08:00

Hi, everyone! Missed you all these past weeks. And so, to make up for my radio silence, here’s a free wallpaper for you to download, use, and share with your friends.

This photograph wallpaper features the Singapore Flyer, the largest Ferris wheel in the world located near Marina Bay, Singapore. Taken last year during my first trip overseas. Makes me go, “Yay!” when I typed that even now. Lol! ♥

To download the wallpaper, simply click the link below:

Courage Wallpaper

To learn more about the Singapore Flyer, you can check out its wiki here.

Hope you enjoy the wallpaper! And if you did, please share this post with your friends and follower via the buttons below. Thank you so much for your continued support. Have a happy long weekend, everybody! ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

Apple Cinnamon Cake Recipe

2011-10-09T03:42:00.000+08:00

After sharing with you the recipe for the tasty carrot cupcakes, now it’s time for the sweet sumptuous chemistry of Apple and Cinnamon Cake! :)

Just like the carrot cupcakes, the apple cinnamon cake was baked by my good friend, Rax. The recipe is of course, her own. I can only claim credit for taking pictures of the delicious cake, which I might add, is awesome with warm tea! ♥

Apple Cinnamon Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 large apples
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Cake

1. Peel and core the apples. Grate three and dice the remaining one.
2. Cream together 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, and the eggs.
3. Sift together flour, salt, soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon; stir into the mixture.
4. Mix the apples with the batter, and pour mixture into a greased pan.
3. Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool. Garnish as desired. Serve, enjoy and share!

This apple cinnamon is a perfect tea time treat. I’m not a foodie expert, but the cake looked like a cross between a pie and a tart. I enjoyed the sweet taste, which is a lovely complement to green tea or Earl Grey, and the interesting crumbly texture of the top part supported by the mushy goodness of the apples underneath. It’s worth considering being a food photographer if I get to take pictures of delicious food stuff... and eat them too! \(ﾟ∀ﾟ)/

Also, this apple cinnamon made me think of and mentally hum Utada Hikaru’s song while savoring it with a hot mug of tea~

Started out so simple and innocent
Chemistry like apple and cinnamon
What we had was just too good~♪
Good to last~~♫

I hope you enjoyed this post . And yep! I also hope the pictures made your mouth water! Haha! Just kidding~ :) At least, enough to make you try out Rax’s apple cinnamon recipe.

Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone! And don’t forget to treat yourself to a bit of cake for all the good hard work you accomplished this past week. ♥

Party Carrot Cupcake Recipe

2011-10-08T05:53:00.000+08:00

For all you foodies and sweet-tooth owners, tasty party carrot cupcake recipe!

Last August, I received a box of wonderful homemade cupcakes and a box of tasty apple-cinnamon cake, all baked from scratch by my awesomely-good-cook-of-a-friend, Rax, and personally delivered by her able sis, Weng. (Thanks you guys! It was truly a sweet birthday surprise! ♥)

I got permission to share the recipe of the 3 sweet treats with you guys! First off, the colorful carrot cupcakes!

Carrot Cupcake Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 3/4 cups shredded carrots
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup desiccated coconut

How to Make Carrot Cupcakes

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Sift and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped dates and coconut. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

4. Decorate with favorite toppings like colorful sprinkles!

5. Enjoy & share with friends and loved ones! ♥

As you can see, I not only enjoyed eating the cupcakes, but also had loads of fun taking pictures of them. The carrot cupcakes look truly photogenic, don’t they?

If you have questions about the carrot cupcakes, the recipe or any feedback at all, feel free to share your thoughts on the comment box below. You can also find more of Rax’s recipes here. Recipes for the chocolate cupcakes and the apple cinnamon cake (Update: Apple Cinnamon Cake Recipe is up! ♥ ) will also be posted soon... so please look forward to those!

Well, then TGIF everyone! Let’s make the best of the weekend up ahead! :)

19 Fun Colorful Young Girls by emperpep

2011-10-02T19:01:00.000+08:00

It has been a stormy week! Super typhoon last Monday & another one since last Friday. It’s truly a relief to finally see the weather calm down after many days—no raging winds and rain, the sun trying its best to filter through the overcast sky to us. So after all the dark and dreary grays, it’s about time more more colors! Here’s Inspiration Sunday No. 15—featuring 19 Fun Colorful paintings of young girls by emperpep!

Pep, who is well-known around the internet art circles as “emperpep” is an imaginative young male artist from Thailand. I discovered his colorful paintings of sweet and playful young girls on DeviantART a few years ago, and I’ve been following him ever since.

What I love most about his paintings are the anime-look & cuteness of his young characters, the settings he puts them in and the details he puts in his paintings—both on the main characters and the background. Plus the colors brighten me up and makes me smile. So here are just a few teasers of his many interesting traditional paintings, and at the end of this post, see and check out the links to his online websites and gallery.

H2O Garden

Fruit Salad

Christmas Sheep

Flowers Watering

For o0Luthien0o

Watermelon Split

Warm Garden

Sitting with Dogs

Secret OC

Loli with Chocolate

Light Painting 2

For JunkManJaiko

Mechanical Garden

Gift for xo-Sakura-chan

Merry X-mas

For Rinalicious

For 2nd Watercolor Tutorial

Kittens Bathing

Find more of emperpep’s works at emperpep.deviantart.com and read more FAQs about him here. He also keeps a blog where you can see pages of his sketchbooks and more of his works at emperpep.exteen.com. If you would like to commission him to do a painting for you, you can find his terms here.

Hope today’s colorful inspiration brightened up your day. Please don’t forget to share this post with your friends and followers. Have a great week ahead! Keep dreaming & living inspired everyone! :)

Strength: Free Wallpaper

2011-09-23T19:07:00.000+08:00

Strength! Yep, this time around, the free wallpaper you can download and use in your computers and mobile phones is about where good strength comes from.

The text, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” is from Philippians 4:13 of the New King James Version. The photograph is entitled “Square One” which is part of my 100 Motivational Post Series. You can find its post here, and the slideshow of the entire series (with the things I learned doing the photography project series) you can find here.

Now here are your download links~♫

♫ 1920 x 1440
♫ 1680 x 1050
♫ 1440 x 900

♫ 1280 x 800
♫ 1024 x 768
♫ phone size

Did you like this wallpaper? If yes, would you mind sharing this post with your friends then? :)

Want more free downloadable wallpaper for your computers and phones? Check out the related posts below. Have a great weekend ahead!

21 Super Creative Children Photography by jwlphotography

2011-09-19T07:59:00.000+08:00

The innocent wide smiles of happy children are truly infectious! Brightens up my day instantly. Beautiful smiles plus a lot of creative fun defines my 14th Inspiration Sunday post. Meet Kristin and Kayla in their adventures in the creative photography by their loving dad, Jason Lee—who also goes around the web as “jwlphotography”.

In 2006, Jason Lee of California, USA started a photo blog chronicling the daily lives of his two daughters, Kristin and Kayla, for his mom who could not see them on a regular basis. What began as a personal blog about 2 sisters, has grown into a fun and creative storytelling of the snippets of the inspired adventures of 2 little girls as told by their imaginative dad... An adventure which has gathered (and continue to gather) more fans from many parts of the world by spreading smiles all around, and making the viewers appreciate and look back to being a happy kid with no worries. ☺

These photos made you rethink about how fun children’s photographs can be, right? Unconventional, but good fun! And I’m sure these work well for kids-at-heart too! ☺

Want to see more fun photographs from Jason Lee? (Yep! There’s loads more!)And maybe check out the magic behind these creative and memorable photography? Like his Facebook page for his two charming Ks, Kristinandkayla. See more of the girls’ adventures in their blog at kristinandkayla.blogspot.com. More photos from Jason Lee in his Flickr, and official website at jwlphotography.com.

Did you guys enjoy this week’s Inspirational Sunday post? If you did, how about spreading the good vibes by sharing this post with your friends and loved ones, and brighten up their day? ☺

Until next Sunday~ Live inspired everyone! ♥

♫~Update!

More Art Inspiration Feature Posts listed below:

Love Art Doodles by HJ Story
Digital Paintings by Shilin
Graphite Girls by Mall
Kaname☆ Cosplay
Pencil Sketches by Clap-san
Awesome Photography by zemotion
Digital Paintings by Schin Loong
Vibrant Watercolors by Raindropmemory
view more...

Purple Heart: Free Wallpaper

2011-09-16T04:58:00.000+08:00

Free “Purple Heart” wallpaper that you can download and use in your desktop and smart phones.

Purple Heart wallpaper is available in the following desktop & smart phone sizes:

♥ 1920 x 1440 px
♥ 1680 x 1050 px
♥ 1440 x 900 px

♥ 1280 x 800 px
♥ 1024 x 768 px
♥ 480 x 320 px

I really enjoyed making this free wallpaper set. The photo is a stock image, edited to fit the wallpaper theme, while the text is from Proverbs 9:11 of the New Living Translation. I hope you like the wallpapers and share them with your friends & loved ones.

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As a side note, I’ve been receiving requests for downloadable wallpaper versions of the Life Note Series. Thank you so much for your support of the series! I truly appreciate it. ♥ And yep! I will be making wallpaper versions of the Life Notes (and will be upgrading them too!) for you to download, use and share. I hope you will look forward to them.