March Round Up

I cannot believe the first QUARTER of the year is done!!! Time does fly by --- and it is so hard to fathom that this month is over! We can't do any "life rewinds" or push a rewind button somewhere to bring back time, but I am glad I am able to SCRAP and leave a legacy for my family. Well, at least I think it's something worth doing, and I'm sure the kids will appreciate it. Someday. For now, it's "Mama, why do you scrapbook?" Hehehehe.

Oki, time for this month's Round Up taken from Katie, the Scrapbook Lady:

My March 2007 Round Up

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

Currently reading Herodotus' Xerxes Invades Greece. Why? Ever since watching the movie 300, I've been inspired to read up a little bit on that part of world history! The movie was just too fab....I know that reading the real thing will be even better! I'm also thinking if I should order the coffee table book from Amazon....

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?

OMGosh....whatever I watched, NOTHING could beat out 300!!! When the movie ended, Japa looked at me and said, "We are getting the DVD when this comes out," and I totally totally agree! The best-est ever line from the movie? When the Persian messenger looks over at the Queen and questions why she is present in their "important men talk"...the Queen looks at him icily and says with full confidence: "Only Spartan women give birth to Spartan men." Love love LOVE this line! Hehehehe. Even my brothers know me well enough to say that they just KNEW it was "MY" line.

We WERE going to squeeze in watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....but Japa said he would watch it with the kids if and only if I'd suffer through it with him! Hehehehe. Maybe next week.

What special days did I celebrate and how?

March 13 - Mom's birthday. She turned 61 this month. And we celebrated by going to Hong Kong. Only the adults. The kids had school, and it was fun to just be with adults and not have to worry about little someones being underfoot. Even Stella and Zhar were allowed by their families to go with us! So we were very COMPLETE.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?

My back has been pretty good to me this month (knock on wood!). Must be all the Yoga we've been doing. I think I had a few days of nonstop migraines, but with medication I was fine.

I think I have insomnia...it has been increasingly difficult for me to sleep at a normal time, meaning anytime before midnight. It has been horrible, with me staying up until 515 am at the very latest!!! I guess I will need to see a doctor about this.....

I was down for close to a week with a really bad cold. Enough for me to lose my voice. Or is this major sore throat? I don't know. Whatever it was, I just woke up one day with absolutely NO VOICE. Not even a whisper! Japa of course enjoyed the "peace and quiet" this afforded him, hmp! But seriously! NO VOICE! I am also on antibiotics now, with 1-2 more days before I'm ok. My colds have petered out a bit and I just have the sniffles.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?

Aside from the trip to Hong Kong and Macau, the best thing we've done this month is to do YOGA together, as a family! We do it at La Vista, with my entire family including the kids, Lai's entire family (Rondic attended once, but it's a start), Bang, Mom, Randy and Stella, and Rodney and Zhar. Too cool! And the most awesome part is that we only pay one fee (P1,000) for ALL of us!!!

We've also started GSS -- the Gavino Summer School. With the kids all out for the summer, I HAVE to keep them busy. No way will I leave them to TV, Game Boy and the computer the whole summer! So we've kept sketch books full of fun stuff the kids have done, we've kept up on our reading AND vocabulary.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

My Benefit Cosmetics make up schtuff!!! THE best purchase this month! I am SO happy with everything I bought! :)

What were this month's disappointments?

The fact that I didn't win the Photo Contest for the Shrine's pictures! Sigh! Oh well. At least I know MY pictures looked good, even before I used Photoshop! Boydee even commented how crisp and clean my photos looked! :)

What were my accomplishments this month?

CT requirements all done except RAKS. Being in Hong Kong just blew to smithereens my scrapping schedule.

My Blog is UPDATED!!!! Here's hoping this trend continues, eh?

I can do the shoulder stand (sort of) in Yoga!!! I can get my arse up off the floor and my legs behind my head (but still up in the air, not down on the ground). This is a HUGE accomplishment!

Scrapping TOOTS:
1. I am on DeDe Smith's CT!!!
2. I have been on Katie's Guest CT this month!!!
3. I am on the Divine Digital's CT!!!
4. I just read on Dani Mogstad's blog that I won a $10 GC!!!

So YAY me! :) Yes, I need to update my list of blinkies off to the side. That'll be my next project.

Anything else noteworthy to record?

We're still in the planning stages for Lola Nene's 88th birthday. We're trying to do Shanghai and/or Beijing....but I'm thinking the HEAT during that time will just about make us all WILT!!!

Thank you to Bang and Elizza for doing all the Easter Egg Hunt Planning this year! :)

March Layout Count: 39!

***End of Round Up***

{APRIL PLANS}

Thanks to the Sweet Shoppe's From Our Blog to Yours prompt, here are some April Plans for the family that I can think of:

1. Continue GSS (Gavino Summer School) Classes
2. Bisita Iglesia - where we visit 7 churches on Maundy Thursday
3. Easter Egg Hunt with the kids at La Vista
4. continue Yoga classes
5. explore other fitness classes like Belly Dancing (hehehe) or Kickboxing

{SCRAPS}

DST is down, but as soon as I can upload my layouts to other galleries, I'll post links here!

BIRTHDAY DRESS

Raegan showing off her new dress when she was only a year and 10 months old!

Journaling reads: When Mama saw this dress, she immediately knew that it was THE dress for your 2nd birthday party. When you saw it, you couldn’t wait to try it on even though your birthday was 2 months away! THe velvet bodice fit just right, but we had to take the hem in. The dress was a size 4 and you looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL in it!

Credits: kit - Rainbow by Elly Engelgeer at digiscrappen.nl; notepapers - by Sharon K; word art - by Audrey Neal; pinned tag - by Holly McCaig; flower border, brads - It's A Spring Thing by Eve Recinella at SSD; aged photo frame - by Rina Kroes; font - DB Kirsty

AN OLDE IRISH WISH

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow
May the soft winds freshen your spirit
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.

Credits: kit - Rainbow by Elly Engelgeer at digitalscrappen.nl; felt ribbons sun - by Tiff Brady; stitches - Little Messies by Gina Miller; button corners - by Traci Murphy; layered sketch - by Teresa Ferguson; fonts -

Off to dinner!

TTFN!

Book Questions

What are book questions you ask? They're some questions asked from the Sweet Shoppe Design's From Our Blog to Yours. I like this particular questionnaire...and I need more Sweet Rewards points so I can get a bigger discount come shopping day at the Shoppe :)

Amazon or brick and mortar? I can do both. But I still maintain that there's nothing more invigorating and exciting than hours spent in an actual brick and mortar bookstore rifling through pages and pages of books! :) I just LOVE the smell of NEW books!

Bookmark or dog ear? Bookmark please! I cringe whenever I see dog-eared books. The poor little book :(

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? I usually fix my books by series, by number. Otherwise, random. Maybe by size? Hehehehe.

Keep, throw away, or sell? Keep! All of them! With the high hopes that the kids will eventually read them. I NEVER throw away books. I'd rather give them away than seeing them in the trash.

Keep dust jacket or toss it? Keep it.

Read with dust jacket or remove it? With the dust jacket. (which I sometimes use as a bookmark)

Short story or novel? Novels.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Harry Potter

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I can't stop in the middle of a chapter! What's the sense in the that?!? Hehehe.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Once upon a time has always been a favorite line.

Buy or Borrow? Both. I buy when I really really REALLY must have a particular book (usually a series). I borrow whenever I can --- Elizza has the complete John Grisham books.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Recommendations and browsing

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Closure please! And no bad and sad endings either!

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Anytime reading! Yes, even while in the bathroom. Hehehe.

Stand-alone or series? Both.

Favorite series? I'd go with Harry Potter and the Left Behind Series.

Favorite children’s book? Hmmmm.....Let's say Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, and everything written by Enid Blyton.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? A most recent one is The Memory Book by Penelope Stokes.

Favorite books of all time? Any and all fairy tales, myths, legends.

What are you reading right now? I’m reading Herodotus' Xerxes Invades Greece. I just HAD to pick it up after watching 300! Hehehehe. I guess I need my history fix too!

What are you reading next? I've got a few books on my night table, waiting to be read: The Rule of Four, The God Stories, Shakespeare and Eragon. Oh! And I guess I need to bring out my Harry Potter books.....I always ALWAYS read the entire series through before the latest one comes out!

{SCRAPS}

RANGER ASLEEP
This is Ranger at 7 days old! We were in Las Vegas at the time.

Sleeping babies must be what heaven is like.

Credits: kit - Daydream Believer by DeDe Smith at Elemental Scraps; folded corner - Easy Peasy by Karah Fredricks; font - Adler; layered sketch - by Teresa Ferguson

MORNING GIRLS
This was taken oh so very early in the morning while we were waiting for our flight to Hong Kong. We were the first wave to leave. Stella was the only one missing. She opted to be traveler coordinator for the boys for the last wave (otherwise the boys would probably NEVER get to Hong Kong in time for Mom's birthday!)

Journaling reads: Bang, myself, Zhar and Lai. At the airport at the ungodly hour of 6 am. Looking pretty good for people with less than 3 hours of sleep!

Credits: kit - Painted Passion by Julie van de Werf at digitaalscrappen.nl; frame - Frame Me by Eve Recinella at SSD; alpha - Blueprint Alpha by Eve Recinella; font - KGD Tiffany

TTFN!

Scraps, Scraps, Scraps!

Yeah! It was a GOOD day today!

Except for the fact that I was late for a staff meeting at the office that I called (hehehe, got up at 930 am, the time OF the meeting), it was a pretty productive day!

{OFFICE NEWS}

We finally brought up the subject of setting up a Credit Center, i.e., Cooperative for the employees. Very positive response from the employees! We had a pretty good discussion about it, including some ideas from the employees themselves about possible projects for the Credit Center. No one quibbled about the membership fee or the minimum number of shares that they had to own in the Credit Center. So that's good!

We also took up the subject of Alma, the embezzler. Told the employees I had to address that in front of everyone so that they wouldn't think management was keeping it under wraps. That went well....I talked, they pretty much listened. Hehehe.

Another thing that was discussed was tying in Customer Service and the Profit Share Bonus. From now on, for every Incident Report against a an employee (and after getting both sides, obviously) there will be a corresponding penalty taken from their bonuses for each infraction. Again, good discussion.

{SCRAPS!!!}

Yes, as in multiple scraps! I finished THREE layouts today!!! Whoohoohoo!!! Told you it was a GOOD day! :)

SISTERHOOD
My sisters-in-law and me, hamming it up for the boys' camera in Macau.

Credits: kit - Dream by Christina Renee at FPD; blur action - by Michelle Pearson; sepia action - by Holly McCaig; fonts - Adler, LD Slender; layered sketch - by Brenda Kempf

BIRTHDAY MASS
Journaling reads: This is Mom celebrating her birthday in Hong Kong...by going to Mass first thing in the morning to say Thank You to Our Lord for giving her lift. We thanked Him for giving Mom to us. 3.13.2007

Credits: Everything by Rina Kroes at SBE; kit - Light Up the Night; word art - for the SBE Scripture Challenge; Blue paper and photo corners - Imagine; fabric action - by atomic cupcake; fonts - KGD Amber Script; layered sketch - by Johanna Berry

300

Journaling reads: Ever since we saw the movie 300, we could not stop talking about it. During our trip to Hong Kong, we would all discuss it, especially during meal times. This photo was taken by the movie posterd plastered all over the Hong Kong subway. You flexed your muscles and grimaced like King Leonides himself.

Credits: kit - Dream by Christina Renee at FPD; frame - Tread Me Softly by Rina Kroes at SBE; chalked frame - by Sue Cummings at Oscraps; 300 title and movie photos - from the internet; font - My Own Topher

That 300 layout has got to be my absolute FAVE!!! I just LOVE it! :)

TTFN!

Oh PHOOEEY!!!

I guess with that title you know I didn't win the Photo Contest!!! ***big pout*** I swear, the sabotaging that goes behind the scenes! Bwahahahahaha! And I have my dear husband and brother to thank for that, can you believe!!!! Grrrrrr!!!! Oh well.

CONGRATULATIONS to Gelo!!! Haven't seen his photos, but I'm sure they were great. I heard he stayed on for several more hours to wait for the sun to hit the stained glass windows...which gave him incredible shots. Me? I couldn't stand the heat...Besides, I had my trusty Photoshop to back me up! Hehehehe.

Anyway, the best part of the day is.....I SCRAPPED!!!! Not my ultra-best work, but I am SO glad I finally got a page done!!! After what, 4 whole days of NO scrapping!! Sheesh!

SUGAR & SPICE, WITTY & WISE
Reese and moi.

Credits: kit - Rebecca by Cindy Simon at Elemental Scraps; word art - Simple Sayings (GIRLS) by Eve Recinella at SSD; folded edge template - by Karah Fredricks at TDS; font - KGD Tiffany Script

TTFN!

Photos Picked and Submitted!

Ahhhhh! Finally finally FINALLY done with fixing and manipulating my photos!!! They have been submitted...so now it's just sit and wait for the judges, Mario and Nap, to render their decision. Not that it's going to be a huge loss if I don't win; I mean, it's still FAMILY who's going to come out the winner! Hehehehe.

Anyhoo, just wanted to share a few faves:

Some Stained Glass windows. By the time I was done looking through everything, all the stained glass windows photos looked the same to me! Hehehehe:

Some interior shots:

Shots of the Main Door:

Photos of the Garden Vaults (Alencon, Lisieux and Carmel):

Now for some MUCH-needed rest!

TTFN!

Oh So Sleepy....

I've been like a zombie for most of the day. I desperately NEED sleep! We went to mass at Padre Pio's at 10. We brought Ranger, much to Japa's consternation *roll eyes here*. I told him just as long as Ranger had his Thomas and friends trains, he should be fine. But for good measure, I brought along a NEW train, Arthur.

Lunch was at Ayala Heights where I finished I-don't-know-how-many-shrimps! Yummmm!! Japa just kept peeling, and I kept eating! Hehehe. I think I may have eaten close to 1 kilo (2 pounds!) of shrimp!

I'm still working at choosing my photos for the Photo Contest. I thought I'd have until Tuesday, but NO---we have to submit everything tomorrow! Sigh!

Mom and Randy left for the States...

{FREE CELLPHONES}

This is a Sponsored Review.

In May, Japa will be getting a free cellphone from Globe!!! I am SO hoping he gets the one like Rondic's where it comes with a Sudoku Game; I am so addicted to Sudoku! :)

A few of my favorite brands of cellphones are Nokia and Sony Ericsson. I like Nokia because I personally feel that it's the easiest, user-friendly phone ever. I like Sony Ericsson because they have cool, funky phones. In fact, my current phone is an Ericsson. Don't ask me the model because I am so bad at memorizing those kinds of details, hehehe. I don't like getting a phone because it's the latest craze, latest model, etc. Give me a phone with basic details, a game or two, and I'm set. :)

The phones I hate the most are flip phones. I hate that they're small, that I have to flip them open before I am able to answer or dial! It is such a hassle, I swear! A bigger flip phone I'd appreciate, but I'd love it even more if there was an option to take out the flip....which is what my Sony Ericsson phone does.

As for plans, I like having post-paid plans. Easier, plus the office pays for our phone plans :) For Raegan, I get her a pre-paid plan. Or I pass her load. Better for me this way, at least I can control how much minutes or text messages she uses. She's also using my old phone, which I had loaded up with several ring tones to choose from :)

Ok, I gotta go. Lots to do---choosing my photos, plus manipulating them in Photoshop!

TTFN!

Photo Shoot

What a day this has been!

First off, I went to sleep FINALLY! at 5 am. Yup, in the morning! Must have been the Tea drink I had while playing Taboo with the others.

To make matters worse, we had to get up at 740 am to be ready and be at the Shrine of St Therese at around 9-930 am for a photo shoot. The Execom had figured that it was way cheaper for the company to try and recruit us amateur photographers to take shots of the Shrine for use in our print ads rather than pay exorbitant prices for professional photographers. After all, in this day and age of the digital camera and Photoshop, what have we got to lose, right?

It was sooooo dang hot, we were sweating up a storm! If only I had downloaded my almost 400+ pictures I took this morning, I have some beauties of Elizza with beads of sweat dotting her face! Will post that when I am able to download all my pics. I have to choose a maximum of 3 photos per category and submit those by Tuesday at the latest.

I was the only person using a point and shoot camera this morning. Luckily though, I am quite adept at Photoshop, thank goodness for scrapping! Whew! So with that, I'm hoping to have an edge of some sort...if I can figure out what to do! Hhehehehe.

Since I wasn't able to scrap for almost 2 whole days, I decided to scrap ONE layout tonight before getting really busy trying to figure out my entries the entire day tomorrow:

ST PAUL'S RUINS
Credits: kit - Daydream by Eve Recinella and Jomi van Bekkum at SSD; kanji Together tag - by Eve Recinella; sequin ribbon - by Becky Vosburg; flourish - by Jen Wilson; tear - by Kim Hill; font - 2Peas Goofball; layered sketch - Everyday Templates 5 by Amy Bleser at DSD

I love the way the legs of Randy, Japa and Zhar are hanging over the negative strips. Thank you to Lai for this suggestion!!! I swear, it is the BEST thing to scrap layouts in a group....we can solicit advice and critiques from our very own sisterhood of scrapping :)

TTFN!

And With This Post.....

......I've caught up on uploading ALL my layouts to my blog!!! Whoohoohoo!!! Yay ME!!! :)

Here are the rest to play catch up..

{SCRAPS}

EASTER MEMORIES
When I saw this kit of DeDe Smith's, I decided I was going to make an Easter album. This will be my cover page, what do you think?

Credits: kit - Hippity Hoppity by DeDe Smith at Elemental Scraps; alpha - by Michelle Coleman; font - KGD Tiffany; layered sketch - A Little Eclectic #5 by Janet Phillips

ROGAN'S BAPTISM
Rogan's baptism in 1999.

Credits: kit - Au Naturelle by Rina Kroes at SBE; word art - by Rina Kroes for the Scripture Challenge at SBE; paper tears - by Kim Hill at CGE; cardboard overlay - by Linda Gil Billdal at Scrap Artist; frame - by Nancy Comelab at MDM; frayed action - by atomic cupcake; fonts - Bellerose, Arial Narrow

Didn't scrap today. I know. Unbelievable. :) But at least I'm caught up, eh? :)

{FRIDAY NIGHT FUN}

We had siblings night tonight....stayed up 'til past midnight playing Taboo! Hehehehe. We had a blast, girls vs boys. One game a-piece, it was late, so we decided to call it a tie :)

TTFN!

Summer Homeschooling

Well, the kids have been out of school for close to a week and let me tell you....I've been keeping them kinda busy, hehehe. I do NOT want them to totally veg out in front of the TV and their game boys and other toys. Oh no no no no! That, to me, is a total WASTE of time of their dear little minds.

Yes, I know they are kids and they deserve a chance to have fun and have a SUMMER. But they will be...just as long as they are productive for a GOOD, MAJOR part of the summer months!

So what have I got planned for them? Nothing too structured, as I think that will totally take away from the fun of teaching them throughout the summer :) Something along these general topics:

1. Art work - drawing, coloring with crayons, oil pastels, maybe even some painting (which I know aboslutely NOTHING of, but shhhhh! they don't have to know that!)

2. Reading - I am going to get my kids to LOVE books as I do....even if I have to die doing this! In this world of technology, the computer and the online world are out there. The television is out there. The various electronic toys are out there. Not to mention the regular dolls, legos, etc out there. I want BOOKS to be part of their small little worlds, and by GOLLY, they're going to HAVE it!

3. Vocabulary - of course, it goes without saying (although I'm saying it here, hehehe) that reading will greatly increase their vocabularies. So along with their sketch pads, they will have with them a dictionary, a thesaurus and a rhyming book. :)

This is what I have so far, and any suggestions would be highly welcome! :)

As for sports, they have that, too. They are in training in competitive swimming three or four times a week for the summer (they have been for a couple of years now, I think). So that takes care of the physical aspect. We have been looking into enrolling some or all of them in taekwondo this summer, but we'll see.

Another thing that interests me is the musical world. Voice lessons didn't go all that well for all of them a couple of semesters ago. They were too lazy to practice, and I had NO idea what to practice them for, so we did away with that. This summer, I am dabbling in the thought of enrolling the kids (and myself) in a native instrument class ensemble. Need to get more information on this though, so I have nothing on this yet.

I'll get myself a LIST of the lessons we've had so far just so I don't lose track.

{SCRAPS}

BIG BABY SMALL BABY
Journaling reads: Only 1 month apart, there is a huge weight and height diference between Robyn and Bric!

Credits: kit - Tweet Baby by Royanna Fritschmann at Divine Digitals; doodle - Flower Doodles by Princess Lala at Divine Digitals; flower - Freestyle Flowers by Princess Lala; onvex bend - by Jen Caputo; bended photo template - by Jennilyn Layden; fonts - KGD AMber Print, KGD Anne Catherine

SIXTY-ONE
We greeted Mom at midnight in her hotel room in Hong Kong last week.

Journaling reads: For Mom’s 61st birthday, the adults in the family went to Hong Kong, including a day trip to Macau. It was the first time we had Stella and Zhar with us, making our trip all the more meaningful because our family was complete.

Credits: kit - Arabesque by Silvia Romeo at Divine Digital; alpha - by Angela Barton; photo filter - All that Pops by Holly McCaig; fonts - KGD Bretta, Marcelle Script; layered sketch - Ultimate Sketch 1 by Kim Smith at SDK

THMILE!
Journaling reads: Papa had to tease Raegan so that she would give a big smile for the camera.

Credits: kit - Tooth Series (Tooth Baby, Tooth Dentist, Tooth Fairy) by Michelle Swadling at Divine Digital; font - KGD Mozer Print; paper fold action - by Jen Caputo; layered sketch - Ultimate Sketch 8 by Kim Smith at SDK

SCENES FROM TRAVEL TOWN
Journaling reads: Ranger enjoyed his trip to Travel Town to "ride the trains". It was a dream come true for him.

Credits: kit - Beautitide by Amy Teets at ACOT; journaling scroll - Write It by Amy Teets; alpha - Ye Ole Book Alpha by Eve Recinella at SSD; font - Stonehenge; photo filter - Virtual Photographer; layered sketch - A Little Eclectic #5 by Janet Phillips

TTFN!

Just Waiting...

....for Mario and Nap to announce who won the Photo Contest for the Shrine. Boydee did come home late tonight to say that "unofficially.....Photographer #4 won" is what Mario said. Well, PHOOOEEY! That's not MY number! I'm Photographer #3!!!! Hmp!

From a process of elimination, Gelo is Photographer #4, so Congrats to him. I guess. Hhehehe. That's the sore lose in me :) But I do want to lodge a protest (at least on MY blog). My entries have been SABOTAGED!!!! Japa and Boydee have "subtly" mentioned to Mario (yeah, right!) that manipulated photos shouldn't be counted! Grrrr!!!!! That's my protest!!!!!

{SISTERHOOD}

We had some quality time today. We met at Bo's Coffee to just talk and have fun over coffee and dessert....which is why I'm still up at 130 am!!! hehehe. I just KNEW this was going to happen! Anyhoo, we just talked about whatever, but mainly spent a good hour or so just laughing it up and discussing schtuff :) It was good to squeeze in this time before Stella leaves for the States on Thursday.

{YOGA}

We had fun today. For the first time, Rondic joined us for yoga and he was a great source of entertainment for us. He was far from flexible for some poses and it was just funny to see him squishing his face while concentrating on the poses.

All the kids joined us....we separated them from each other to avoid hearing giggling and whispering....but they did give us more reasons to NOT concentrate during yoga. There were a couple of FARTERS! Hahahahaha! First, when we were doing a side pose with our arm in the air, Raine let out a couple of farts. I swear, I almost fell over from trying to refrain from laughing!

The BEST fart yet, though, went to Reese. We were in the Japanese kneeling position and as Weng called for us to slowly bend forward and let the tops of our heads touch the floor, Reese let out this loooong solid fart! Hahahahahahaha! I could barely breathe enough as it was in that position, but hearing Reese was just too much! Hehehehehe.

Ok, gotta go. No scraps obviously, but am hoping to start scrapping tomorrow!

TTFN!

Scrap Day

Well, it became a scrap day AFTER a special meeting was called by Randy to discuss Golden Ridge matters. Surprisingly, the meeting lasted a couple of hours and that was it! Whoa! A record, right there and then! Hehehe. Of course, it helped that we were discussing ONE project of ONE company, but hey, I'll take it.

Towards the latter part of the meeting actually, my laptop was out and I was downloading some CT kits that I needed. Elizza was scrapping, Bang was doodling and discussing her diet with Japa. Then we started looking at our Hong Kong photos, hehehe.

Anyhoo, I was productive today! I scrapped 2 layouts, and am finishing up another one....but I won't show those just yet since I have a day or 2 of uploading the last few layouts here on the blog before I can say I am updated!!!

{SCRAPS}

PEALS OF LAUGHTER
Journaling reads: It was so hard to get you to look at the camera for a “proper” picture. I’d squeeze you hard enough to force you to face forward but somehow I touched your tickle-spots and you broke into infectious peals of laughter.

Credits: papers, flowers, tag - A Pocketful of Patches by Rina Kroes at SBE; laughter tag, leaves, swirl - Lil Bits Morning Glories by Kay Miller at NitWit Collections; frayed fabric action - by atomic cupcake; photo border action - by Terry Maruca; fonts - KGD Karen, KGD Renee, KGD Flowergirl

a scraplift from Lifts with a Twist


I LOVE PERCY
Journaling reads: Ranger loves PERCY, the little green train of Thomas the Train fame. Percy is Ranger’s 15th train.

Credits: kit - Painted Passion by Julie van de Werf at digitaalscrappen.nl; cardboard - by Linda Gil Billdal at Scrap Artist; ribbon - by a-gus; layered sketch, film strip, circle, felt elements, glitter ricrac - all by Gina Miller; Percy and description - downloaded from the internet; fonts - Arial Narrow, Arial Black, LD Beatnik, Century Gothic; photo filter - all that pops by Holly McCaig; frayed action - by atomic cupcake


I LOVE THOMAS
Ranger showing his love for Thomas the train

Credits: kit - Weathered Wood by Julie van de Werf at digitaalscrappen.nl; train - by Misty Cato; alpha - Circle U Alpha by Eve Recinella at SSD; cardboard - by Linda Gil Billdal at Scrap Artist; photo filter - Vintage Actions by Kim Hill; postage stamp - by Amber Clegg at Scrap Artist; font - Kid Type Ruled


THE MTR
Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s May Month of Memories: May 10 - Golden Spike Driving Anniversary

Journaling reads: The Mass Transit Railway is the best way to get around Hong Kong. This US$5 billion underground connects the Kowloon side to the Hong Kong side of the peninsula. MTR tickets cost HK$4 to HK$25, depending on where you want to go. Very clean, very fast, and very convenient, the MTR can also connect you to the Airport Express, the local KCR line, and even to Hong Kong Disneyland!

Credits: kit - Peace, Love and Happiness by Erika Tenney at Timeless Memories; life tag - Kanji Tags by Eve Recinella; big swirlies - by Princess Lala Designs at Divine Digital; frame - by Nancy Comelab; knot tie - Firecracker by Mary Ann Buchanan; photo filter - by Holly McCaig; fonts - Boring Showers, Chowmein

That last photo was taken by Japa inside the MTR. If you click on the photo, you'll see the comments left by digiscrappers about the awesome photo! *wink!*

And if you notice the Thomas and Percy layouts...they're in a horizontal perspective now. I figure I should give it a try and see how it goes. With such a big family, we'd fit in more this way, hehehehe.

TTFN!

So So Sleepy.....

I slept at 515 am this morning!!! I have NO idea why that happened but I can venture a guess: a large cup of coffee at about 1030 am and some Excedrin for Migraine at 1 pm (it has caffeine in it). So I'm thinking coffee and Excedrin are NOT a good combination for me? Sigh!

I've done some work at the office. Semi-productive. *shrug* And we have yoga at 5 pm later. That's 3 hours away and my eyelids are going down of their own accord. I don't want to take coffee or I'll be up 'til the wee hours of the morning again.

{ONLINE TRANSACTIONS}

This is a Sponsored Review.

I have paid some bills online and I am SO glad for technology! Even when I'm in the Philippines, I am able to shop online, get my bills online, and pay my bills online! How cool is that? I can check my main bank AND my credit cards. Yes, with a capital S. Hehehe.

Online banking has been safe for me so far. And I don't see any reason for that to change. I've used the internet to do several online transactions amount. Good thing my bank is technologically advanced! If you haven't done an online transaction, now's a good time as any. Of course, you have to set up a savings account. Best bet is to get a site that offers a lot of options such as a bank account, a credit card account. Throw in Paypal for best online shopping, especially if you're a digiscrapper like me! Hehehe. And hey, I'm not a banker....in fact, if you read my previous post, you'll know I hate accounting or anything to do with numbers!!! So this site is a good option to consider. Seems easy enough.

The best part is that they have these awesome Money Saving Tips! I loved reading about ways to boost savings. I SO need to do that! I'm always on the lookout for something to help me save more. So I can shop more! Hehehe.

My favorite tip? Avoid temptation. In other words, don't spend too much time hanging out at the mall. :) In my case, would that be stop spending time online?!?!? Egad! How can I do that! Hehehe. But it's true. I've stopped dropping by at the supermarket every week, telling myself to go grocery shopping ONCE a month or even every month and a half! And I find myself spending less!!! Seriously!

Now, to put some money into another "safety" account, i.e, an account for a specific purpose. 'Til next "serious discussion" time! :)

{SCRAPS}

NOT-SO-SECRET-DESIRE
Journaling reads: A day...a MEAL!...is not complete without me putting a piece of chocolate or some kind of dessert in my mouth. Ahhhhh...now THAT is a small, SWEET piece of heaven!

Credits: kit - Moments of Life by Nina at Oscraps and ndisb; newspaper scallops, buttons - Rainy Days & Mondays by Dani Mogstad at SSD; pearled flowers - by Nina; bend it template - by Debbie Knorr; photos - downloaded from the internet; font - KGD Flowergirl; layered sketch - Pretty Petals #5 by Janet Phillips

WINDMILL
Raine spent a bit of time at Legoland building a windmill. She made this all by herself!

Quote by Vincent van Gogh reads: Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.

Credits: kit - Le Chapeau Rose by Rina Kroes and Kimberly Stewart at 3S; negative strip - by Gina Miller; convex bend - by Jen Caputo; stitches, staples, layered sketch - Pretty Petals #5 by Janet Phillips; fonts - VTKS Dear Love, DB Danielle, Felix Titling, KGD Amber Print, KGD Bretta

BE LIKE A TREE
Journaling reads: My wish for you: Be like a TREE... Life is balanced like a tree. When you consider the struggles, difficulties, and sorrows as a part of it, then you see it as beautiful and perfect. - George M. Lamsa

Credits: kit - A Pocketful of Patches by Rina Kroes at SBE; journaling tag - Prismatic Petals by Rina Kroes; tree - by Sue Bond; leaves - Sketchadoodlez 3 by Rina Kroes; fonts - KGD Tiffany, KGD LisaE Script, KGD Bretta; stitches, layered sketch - Jiffy Stax Vol.4 by Rina Kroes at SBE

FROLICKING IN THE WAVES
Raegan immensely enjoying herself at the beach. A true water baby!

Credits: papers, word tags - Welcoming Spring by Gina Huff at Weeds and Wildflowers Design; summertime word art, swirl - Lil Bits Morning Glories by Kay Miller at Nitwit Collections; bended photo template - by Jennifer Layden; notebook paper - Holed Edges by Amy Martin; fonts - the King and Queen, KGD Dixi; photo filter - Virtual Photographer

TEACHER TESS
Journaling reads: Teacher Tess taught you how to support each other. She taught you discipline. She treated you like you were her own daughter. daughter. She was the BEST Grade 2 teacher ever!

Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s May Month of Memories: May 9 - National Teachers Day

Credits: kit - Gentle Spring by Nina at Oscraps and ndisb; notepaper alpha - by Ashley Olson at The Digi Shoppe; date stamp - It's a Third Date by Eve Recinella at SSD; cluster - Cluster Fun by Nina; photo frame - by Toni Berman; fonts - KGD Dixi, KGD Bretta; layered sketch - A Little Eclectic #5 by Janet Phillips

Almost almost almost caught up with my layouts!!! Knock on wood! :)

TTFN!

Just Updating...

Sitting here, attending a seminar on some accounting program. Ugh. Accounting is SO not my thing! And here I am, NEEDING to understand just so I know what I should be watching for. Oh well. In the meantime, there's a lull in the discussion.....so I figure now's a good time as any to upload to my blog some layouts....

{SCRAPS}

QUADRUPLY BLESSED
Journaling reads: It was always my dream to be a mother. Among all my dreams, this was THE dream. Many years later, my dream has been realized. With 4 of you, I am truly quadruply blessed.

Credits: kit - Whispered Promises by Rina Kroes at SBE; children word art - by Angela G at DSS; dreams word art - from the {52} Inspirations Collaboration of Sue Cummings, Vicki Stegall, and Lauren Reid at Oscraps; frame - Get Framed by Eve Recinella at SSD; font - KGD Karen

RANDY & STELLA
I like the effect of how this grid by Katie the Scrapbooking Lady gives a shadowbox effect!

Credits: kit - Sweet Surrender by Amy Bleser at Digi Scrap Divas; spinner - by Amy Bleser; grid - Visual Stories Squared by Katie the Scrapbook Lady at ACOT; font - DB Karah Script

YOUR SECOND NAME
Rafael is the second name of our Raegan (Rafaelle, feminine derivative) and Rogan.

Journaling reads: The name “Rafael” means “God has healed”. This is Lolo Boy’s name, as well as the name of your great-grandfather, Lolo Peleng. We chose this special name as your second name: Rafaelle for Raegan, and Rafael for Rogan. We hope that you both live your life as Lolo is living his: God-fearing, generous, caring, loving, a benefactor of the less fortunate. You carry Lolo’s name. Take pride in it, LIVE it.

Credits: kit - Rainy Days & Mondays by Dani Mogstad at SSD; tear - by Kim Hill; photo cluster - by Nancy Comelab; Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s March Month of Memories: March 8 - Middle Name Pride Day; font - KGD Tiffany

RAEGAN'S BAPTISM
Scripture from John 1:12 reads: To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Credits: kit - Rainy Days & Mondays by Dani Mogstad at SSD; torn edge - by Amy Bleser; fonts - KGD Flowergirl, DB Pastor Dave

BEST FRIENDS
Raegan and Reese. Cousins. Best friends.

Credits: background paper (recolored)- Le Chapeau Rose by Rina Kroes at 3S; brads - Spring Petals by Rina Kroes at SBE; sequined ribbons - by Becky Vosburg at The Digi Shoppe; stickers - Rainy Days and Mondays by Dani Mogstad at SSD; convex bends - by Jen Caputo; font - KGD Bretta; layered sketch - Pretty Petals #5 by Janet Phillips

A few more layouts and I'm going to be totally caught up! Here's hoping that I am able to update on a more regular basis now :)

TTFN!

Post-Hong Kong

Well! I still cannot believe that I did NOT scrap while in Hong Kong!!! That's 4 days, plus yesterday because I was SO tired! Needless to say, a LOT of things happened in Hong Kong. A LOT! We have dubbed it as quite a stressful trip. No, not a whole lot of details will go on this blog....but suffice it to say that all's well that end's well. :)

{March 11, Sunday}

The first batch -- Japa, Bang, Lai, Zhar, Marivic and myself -- are at the airport at 6 am for a flight at 8 am. Didn't sleep the night before, unless you call a 15-minute nap sleep! It was a pretty uneventful flight, since Japa and I just slept through the 2-hour trip. However, we did hear Bang and Elizza laughing the whole 2 hours :)

When we got to Hong Kong, we didn't bother with the transfer from the airport to the hotel. We knew that it was going to take TOO long, despite it being a free service. We instead took the Airport Express and it took us less than half an hour to get from the airport to the hotel.

We checked in and decided to upgrade all 7 of our rooms to the Executive Floor. It was cheaper than doing it through a travel agency, that's for sure! Plus, we had breakfast everyday of our stay, so that was a nice option to have.

We finally got our rooms at 1 pm, just in time for Mom, Dad, Lola and Aguila. For lunch, we went to Fat Angelo's which was very near the hotel. Yes, Italian food in Hong Kong. I LOVE this place!

After lunch, while Mom and Dad rested, the rest of us went to Ocean Terminal. Dad usually takes a nap after a meal or a trip, and Mom HAD to rest because it seems she pulled a muscle in her lower back.

At Ocean Terminal, we just went to Toys R Us. It was a Sunday, we had limited Hong Kong dollars, and the Ocean Terminal stores accepted credit cards. Whew! We were saved, hehehe. Besides, based on our itinerary, we barely had time for shopping as it is. So Toys R Us it was, and we got the kids a few toys.

For dinner, we went to Mongkok to have a Korean BBQ Buffet. This is where you cook food in front of you, right on the table. This is ALWAYS a good place to dine! However, since it was Lent, I didn't enjoy as much and I could only look on as Rondic (who was in front of me) dined hungrily on chicken and beef!

Speaking of the boys, they arrived in Hong Kong at 830 pm. They took the Airport Express and went straight into the MTR to Mongkok. Their bags were already in Hong Kong as we brought them on the first flight out. So in the middle of dinner, they arrived at the restaurant and we had our first meal together.

After dinner, Japa and I went home. We were too tired to go with my brothers and their partners to the night market.

{March 12 - Monday}

We woke up bright and early to have breakfast. By 830 am, Rodney and I were on our way to Citibank to get some Hong Kong dollars. Everyone else had a nice leisurely breakfast until 10 am, when our guide for Macau would pick us up at the hotel. Rodney and I arrived at the hotel lobby 2 minutes before 10 am :)

We rode the tour bus to the harbor where we took the Hydrofoil to Macau. It was an hour-long trip and only in the beginning did we get a little bit seasick. It was nice and foggy in Macau, which meant almost NO sun, and therefore NO heat during our tour.

The first order of business when we got to Macau was lunch. Hehehe. Trust our family to do the important things first! We had lunch at this small, quaint and not-so-cheap Portuguese restaurant. But most everything we had was totally delish! The french onion soup, the pasta, the crab, the shrimp, the paella. The only thing I didn't like was the bakalaw; it was smelly and gross.

After lunch we had our tour proper. We drove around the little city and went to a Chinese temple, the St. Paul's ruins, a bakery where they make yummy cookies, the Lady of Mercy, the Lotus Flower, and the wall where we could see China across a body of water. It was a cool tour, and this was when we took TONS and TONS of photos!

Between all of us, we had 6 (SIX!) cameras and everyone was in a shutter-happy mood. Japa is still compiling all the photos so that we can all have copies of all the photos everyone took :)

Dinner was at the famous Spring Deer restaurant. We never leave Hong Kong without dining at the Spring Deer. The highlight of the meal was the couple of Peking Ducks and the President's fish, which was so succulent and yummy!

After dinner, we went to Granville Road to walk off what we ate at dinner and to shop. I stayed with Mom close to midnight as everyone else went to the hotel to get a cake and a bouquet of flowers for Mom to greet her at the strike of midnight.

We couldn't really sing out loud or even talk out loud since Dad was in the connecting room already asleep, and we were on the Executive Floor, which meant a lot of the hotel residents were already asleep at midnight. Hehehe. But it was fun to be all together to greet Mom for her 61st birthday.

{March 13 - Tuesday - Mom's Birthday}

You'd think we'd have a day to sleep in..but nope. We all woke up bright and early to go to mass with Mom at 8 am at the Rosary Church on Chatham Road. Except Dad, who was really tired from our trip to Macau yesterday.

After mass, we all trooped back to the hotel to have breakfast at the lounge. A nice, leisurely breakfast. Actually, it was the second breakfast of sorts for Japa and me, since we were already having some coffee and fruits before meeting everyone at the lobby at 745 am. :)

And it as Family Drama time. It was a literal Soap Opera, I kid you not. Again, NO details will be going on this blog. All of us know what happened. All of us know how it was resolved.

I am lucky to count myself as part of this close, stable, loving family. Yes, we're nosy. Yes, we talk a lot. But it is this way of communicating that has time and time again helped our family become stronger, closer. We're not afraid to ask for help when we need help. We're not shy of offering advice ---fine, PUSHING advice--- when we see it is needed. Can you tell I'm talking from experience? Hehehehe.

That's the way of big sisters I guess. I can sense when someone needs help, needs to talk. Sometimes I wait, sometimes I push. But one thing is clear: when there is trouble, issues must come out so that we can quickly resolve it. And when we say resolve, it means that everything is fixed or will be on its way to being fixed.

We each have our strenghts and weaknesses. We become strong where the other is weak. We offer our strength when it is needed. We are there whether a person knows we are needed or not. Heck, we are there before a person even realizes we are needed! That's what a family is, and that's what we have.

Lunch was at Yoong Luen, at the basement of the hotel, where they serve yummy dimsum. Of course, too much food was ordered yet again. Sigh!

Shopping some more, which basically consisted of going back to Toys R Us to get the girls the Littlest Pet Shop theme sets, Rogan some Pokemon action figures, and Ranger some Thomas the train characters.

My BEST purchase of the entire trip was at Facess, where Elizza and I spent a lot of time putting on some make up and finally buying make up at the Benefit Cosmetics counter. I got the awesome Dr. Feel Good base, Oh-so-Gorgeous foundation, and Get Even powder. I got Mom her birthday gift here as well. It was money WELL SPENT!!!!

Dinner was at the pricey Lei Garden at the IFC Mall. Good food, well served. Pretty fancy for Chinese Food, but it was good :)

We then hurry home because we all have to pack for our trip back home to Manila.

{March 14 - Wednesday}

I guess this trip never meant for us to get a complete night's sleep! We were up early because our goal was to leave the hotel between 830 am to 9 am. And of course, Japa and I wanted to get a good morning's breakfast in us before we started for the airport. We were in the lounge dipping into our fruit, muesli and coffee a little bit past 7 am. As expected, Dic and Elizza were the only ones who showed up at the lounge to do the same thing as us.

We were off to the airport a little bit past 9. We checked in no problem....until we were about to leave the In-Town Check in counters for the Airport Express to take us to the airport. Rodney's handcarry roller was missing. Ummmmm.......could that have been bag #14 checked in when I had counted about 4 times 13 bags?!?!

Hehehe. As it turned out, Miss Zharmayne was playing around with the roller and had inadvertently left it near the other bags lined up for check in. So Japa and Boydee unknowingly loaded the roller onto the luggage belt. Hehehe. The rest of us were freaking out more than Rodney was, especially when we learned that the roller was UNlocked and had a brand new wristwatch, his DSLR camera AND his laptop in it!!! He couldn't very well start screaming his head off at his girlfriend now, could he? So he played it cool and asked whether he could get his roller off the conveyor belt. (I think at this point Zhar loved him even more, hehehe).

To make a long story short, the roller had left Kowloon and was on its way to the airport. The best bet was for us to rush to the airport and have the airline personnel intercept it there. Rodney was lucky, as always. When we got to the airport, some guy approached him and told him that he couldn't get his roller as it was already checked in; however, he could GET his things FROM the roller!!! How lucky is that!!!

Again, all's well that end's well! Hahahaha!

We get back to Manila at 330 pm. Tired. Pooped. Exhausted.

{March 15 - Thursday}

Busy day still. I swear, at this point, the question is, will I EVER get a good night's sleep!?!?!?

We woke up early as we had a 9 am Yoga session at La Vista. Zhar was able to get an instructor who was willing to do home service for us. At P300 a pop, there were 9 of us in her little "class", so that netter her P2,700 for 1.5 hours of Hatha Yoga. Not bad eh?

Funny thing during yoga...during the meditative part, Mom actually went to sleep and even SNORED!!! Hahahahaha!

I had to rush rush rush as I had 3 PTCs to attend right after our yoga session. I got the kids' report cards; it was a proud-mama moment for me as all 3 kids got straight A's yet again! Whoohoo! Even in Filipino. Go figure, hehehe.

Got done at about 2 pm, then went to the derma with Mom, Bang and Lai. Had my Diamond Peel done. Ahhhhhh..... had myself a nice little nap while on the derma bed, too!

Always Last Minute Travel Plans!

Grrrrr!!!! Always, always, always! No matter how early we TRY to make travel plans for this family, it NEVER usually happens! Aaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!! And who gets to play Miss Travel Agent???? ME!!!!!!

It's a good thing I already KNOW my family and can sort of predict the different needs and schedules! Sigh, double sigh, triple sigh!

Anyhoo, the best rates we were able to get were from the boys' friend, Dick Escalona. As of this writing, we've settled on the place (Hong Kong), the hotel (Holiday Inn Golden Mile) and the schedules of departure. As is always the case, there are MORE THAN ONE departure time for our family. And who gets to go on the first ---read as EARLIEST, as in the FIRST --- flight out? Why ME of course! Hehehehe. Which is okay, since I prefer the early flights anyway; lesser chances of being delayed, if you ask me. Good thing Japa is the same, so at least I've got him to come with me, along with Bang, Elizza and Zhar. Stella preferred to go with the boys since she watches their basketball games anyway. Mom and Dad are scheduled on the flight after ours, so that when they arrive, their rooms will be ready. Sweet set up eh?

And let's not even start on packing issues. I always pack, never wanting to leave Japa to do it. I'd rather have my clothes still have some semblance of neatness when they come out of the bags, thank you very much! To his credit, he does the unpacking and hangs our clothes or puts them in drawers. So it's an even deal then :)

This will probably be my last post until after we get to Hong Kong. The boys have planned a poker game tomorrow night. Yes, the night BEFORE we leave for Hong Kong on the EARLIEST flight out. Go figure.

{SCRAPS}

ALBERT EINSTEIN
Journaling reads: Albert Einstein won the Nobel Physics Prize in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect. The name “Einstein” has become synonymous with GENIUS. He is best known for his theory of relativity, explained by the formula E=mc2.

This huge head of Albert Einstein is at Legoland in Carlsbad near San Diego. It is made up entirely of Lego bricks! Whenever we go to Legoland, Mama always makes sure to tell the kids what a GENIUS Einstein was.

Credits: doodles - Doodle Frames VI by Bannerwoman at Divine Digital; papers, stitches, tags - Where I Live and Breathe by Royanna Fritschmann at Divine Digital; fonts - Rough Draft, KGD Tiffany, LD Slender; Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s March Month of Memories: March 14 - Albert Einstein's Birthday

DINO BOY
Rogan at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum enjoying the Dinosaur exhibit.

Credits: doodles - Doodle Hearts IV by Bannerwoman at Divine Digital; kit - It's a Boy Thing Mega Kit by various designers at Divine Digital; font - LDJ Fadoodle; layered sketch - Gotta Scrap Now #2 by Janet Phillips

WHEEE!
Ranger having a blast going down the slide.

Credits: kit - Boy Boom by Heather Heinzer at SBE; word art - Simple Sayings-Boy by Eve Recinella at SSD; alpha - Scratch n Stamp alpha by Eve Recinella; acrylic frames - Rainy Days and Mondays by Dani Mogstad at SSD; font - DB Pastor Dave; layered sketch - Gotta Scrap Now #2 by Janet Phillips at The Digi Shoppe

RAEGAN'S FIRST 12 MONTHS
Journaling reads:

April - bay girl born April 10
May - first bath
June - earrings!
July - first sold food
August - first dip in the pool
September - trying to walk
October - trying to jump
November - potty training
December - first Christmas
January - learning to stand
February - brushing teeth
March - big girl car seat

Credits: kit - Rainy Days & Mondays by Dani Mogstad at Sweet Shoppe Designs; word art - Simple Sayings (GIRLS) by Eve Recinella at SSD; stamped months - by Gina Miller; stamped years - by Paula Duncan; bling and catchlight - by Angela Barton; month tags - Office Dates by Holly McCaig at MDM; beaded alpha - by Kimberly Giarrusso at Pure Scrapability; butterflies - Felty Flies by Dani Mogstad; cardboard flowers - Little Lauren Lalas by Amanda Rockwell at SSD; font - DB Danielle

DIVINE GIRLS
Journaling reads: ROBYN is the latest addition to the girls in the family. She is the 5th granddaughter, following sisters Reese and Rielle, and cousins Raegan and Raine.

Credits: kit - Charity of Heart by Royanna Fritschmann at Divine Digital; word art - My Gurlz All That by Royanna Fritschmann; photo filter - All That Pops by Holly McCaig; fonts - Rusted Plastic, KGD Amber Print; layered sketch - by Robin Cabana

TTFN!

Getting Measured (!) for the Wedding

The wedding of Randy and Stella is on June 22. That's a mere 3 months away.....and I still have NOT lost more weight!!! Sure, 25 pounds down is already a big deal, and I know I've probably reached my plateau, but of course I want to lose some more since I know everyone else in the entourage will be as skinny as.....ummmmm.......the models in magazines! Hehehehe.

Oh well. If I don't lose that weight --- I was hoping at least another 10 to 15 pounds would be awesome --- I guess I'll just have to summon up even more confidence in myself (teehee!) to walk down that aisle and stare everyone in the eye and DARE them to tell me to my face that I was FAT! We'll see who backs down!

Anyhoo, we went to Paul Cabral, this young designer who's gaining a reputation around town. He was pretty nicel short of saying I had ginormous arms, he tactfully suggested I cover them up with nice, stretchy lace. Hehehe. Good thing Randy and Stella had already prepared him for my size. Otherwise his heart would SINK at the sight of my dear voluptuous womanly body! :)

It is rumoured though, that Paul Cabral specializes in plus sized women, making them look slimmer. So I'm in good hands. I hope. Fervently.

{Travel Plans}

Well, it looks like China is out of the question. We've settled for Hong Kong, making the boys happy since they are looking forward to pigging out on yummy Chinese food. Me? I'm not a big fan of Chinese food in the first place, but it's a double whammy of sorts since I've given up meat for Lent! Sigh!

I talked to Zhar's mom and asked her permission to let Zhar come with us to Hong Kong. My explanation was that our poor babe, i.e., Rodney, would be left partner-less in Hong Kong. I also assured her that I would take care of Zhar, and no, she would not be rooming in with Rod. Hehehe.

Other good news: Stella was granted a U.S visa!!! We don't know yet for how many years, but we were all happy that she had gotten one! And surprised --- since we were half thinking she'd be denied a visa by virtue of the fact that she was already being petitioned for immigrant status. I guess Randy was praying fervently the whole time Stella was inside the Embassy! Hehehehe.

{SCRAPS}

SUNSHINE SMILE
Raegan enjoying her mini-pool.

Credits: kit - Butterfly Boost by Miranda Bontan at digitaalscrappen.nl; stamped alpha - by Jenna Robertson; photo filter - All That Pops by Holly McCaig; fonts - KGD Angela, KGD Tiffany; Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s March Month of Memories: March 1 - Share a Smile

LITTLE JAPANESE GIRLS
Reese and Raegan looking their adorable little selves!

Journaling reads: With your little heads wrapped in your burp cloths like this, the both of you look like little Japanese girls! When you smile your infectious smiles and your eyes curve downwards, you look like little Japanese girls!

Credits: kit - Summer Meadow by Berna Datema at digitaalscrappen.nl; chalked frame - by Sue Cummings at Oscraps; Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s March Month of Memories: March 3 - Hina Matsuri (Girls' Festival in Japan); font - Bellerose; layered sketch - by Nikki Beaudreau

KALEIDESCOPE
Journaling reads: Raegan, Reese and Rielle enjoyed themselves immensely at the playground of the Polo Club. They particularly loved this tunnel with it’s kaleidescope of color. They kept going through the tunnel, squealing with joy everytime one of them went through. Cousins. sisters. Friends.

Credits: kit - Bohemian Gypsy by Berna Datema at digitaalscrappen.nl; word art - by Katie Pertiet; font - KGD Brandi; layered sketch - Collection 11 by Jen Caputo

ROGAN IN THE TUB
My little water baby lounging in his tub, even if it's a tad bit too small for him!

Credits: kit - Rub A Dub Dub by Colleen Shibley at SBP; frame - by Corina Nielsen
bend it photo template - by Debbie Knorr; font - Adler; layered sketch - Get Scrapped #2 by Janet Phillips

STARFISH
Journaling reads: We stopped at the Starfish Pools at Sea World in San Diego. While Rogan willingly held a starfish in his hand, it took Raegan a looong time before she agreed to touch a starfish. It took an even longer time for her to hold the starfish in her hand! She kept saying that it was wet, slimy, stinky, and gross. But the wonder and curiousity on her face as she took a good look at the starfish was well worth the effort!

Poem by Douglas Florian reads:

Although it seems
That I'm all arms,
Some other organs
Give me charm.
I have a mouth
With which to feed.
A tiny stomach
Is all I need.
And though, it's true:
I have no brain,
I'm still a star—
I can't complain.

Credits: kit - Where I Live and Breathe by Royanna Fritschmann at Divine Digital; star, notepaper - How Much I Love You Mega Kit by Divine Digital designers; tag (recolored) - Pirate's Life by Royanna Fritschmann at Divine Digital; alpha - Scratch n Stamp by Eve Recinella; fonts - KGD Mozer Print, KGD Lori

Being productive so far since I'm using Janet Phillips' templates. And with this deal, you can't lose!!! :) Scroll down to the bottom of that post to know that this awesome deal is! ;)

TTFN!