how does one feel??...PUREBLISS, i tell you...but when you are married and then separated after two weeks, it is pure agony...i haven't had the chance to really blog about the wedding because i'm having to deal with separation anxiety...back in the states without the hubby...struggling everyday...all i have are pictures to get me by...but here's some glimpse of the happy moments...i'll tell more...=)...and oh, before i forget...me and ozzy would like to thank all the people who had made this momentous occasion worthwhile...the prayers..the wishes, the tiny things that made a whole lot of difference...thank you... 
 
happy me...=)....but for now...all i want is my hubby...
If you opened this, FILL IT OUT! Learn 30 things about your friends, and let them learn 30 things about you! (NOTE: I opened it and I had to fill it out...rules are rules)*
***** i saw this and decided to just answer it...just to pass the time...i'll blog about wedding stuff once i'm done with my invites...for now, non-wedding stuff...
1. How tall are you barefoot?
5'3 and a half, i've jumped every new year at the stroke of midnight, drunk milk, but i've stopped growing...i'm gonna try joo ji hoon's stretches, it might work...
2. Have you ever smoked?
nope, not even a puff...
3. Do you own a gun?
nope
4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
cold vanilla soymilk during the fall & spring season, orange juice with lots of pulp during the summer time, chai or hot chocolate during winter time
5. Can you do push ups?
yeah, with my butt sticking out...
6. Do you like painkillers?
if whatever i'm feeling is really unbearable, otherwise, i just take a nap...
7. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
i don't think i have one...if i do, it's a SECRET...
8. Do you own a knife?
we have tons of cutlery at home...
9. Name 3 things you wanna do at this exact moment?
» take this friggin' contact lens off my eyes and rub my eyes real hard
» lull myself to sleep while watching korean dramas
» go home.
10. Name the last 3 things you have bought lately:
» a couple of "I Love NYC" shirts
» a navy blouse
» ballet flats from GAP (it's right next to the bus stop, so i got tempted)
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
» water
» green tea
» soy milk
20. Favorite place to be?
in my room (tinkering with my stuff)
21. Least favorite place to be?
nothing really, i easily adapt...except for when i'm surrounded by smoke and stink..then i'll be the first one to go...
22. Where would you like to go?
Philippines of course, but i'm going there this December so that's not included, I would like to go to Korea, Italy, England, Switzerland, Hawaii, New Zealand, Hongkong
23. Last time you had an alcoholic drink?
Two weeks ago, had a glass of chardonnay with my pasta...
24. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Some random korean songs that got stuck on my head (i don't even know what it means)
25. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
nothing.
26. Last thing that made you laugh?
mom's old jokes while passing the time waiting for the train in NYC
27. Worst injury you've ever had?
not bloody whatsoever, but the discomfort i'm feeling right now wearing the RGP contact lens due to my eye problem
28. What items do you ALWAYS take with you when you leave the house?
phone, ID, credit card, 5 dollars, metro pass, and if my bag is big -- i include my ipod, a book, flip-flops, comb, a hair clip and lipgloss
29. Who is the last baby you held?
Xavier, darwin's nephew
30. What are your plans now that you have finished?
take my contact lens off and wear my glasses...
that i am alive...but i haven't been up to blogging...because a visit to my opthalmologist turned out to be heartbreaking...i went in to get a prescription for contact lenses because i wouldn't want to be wearing glasses on my wedding day...i've used contact lenses before but not for a long time because of my bad eye allergies...but anywayz, i found out i have an early stage of keratoconus and a high level of astigmatism...so i've just been in and out of the doc's office because of that...i have to wear a special kind of contact lens...today was the first day i tried it on...it was extremely uncomfortable..i couldn't stand it...so i took it out...i'll try to wear it again tomorrow...so...i'm just trying to digest everything in.....BREEAAATTHHHHE in...BREAATTHHE out...
 The next thing you think of when somebody popped the question..."will you marry me"...would be...i gotta find the GOWN...so then you start collecting all the bridal magazines..and envision what would look best on you..what would fit your body type...and all that fussy little detail only the bride could think of... i've heard of the annual Filene's Basement bridal event two years ago (http://www.filenesbasement.com/bridal.jsp)...where thousands of bridal gowns are marked down from $10,000 to $299-$699. Now, who couldn't resist that...so in that two years that i've known this event existed, i've tracked down the date when this event comes to the Washington DC area... i thought of going to this event to find my gown...but i was weary of the date of the sale being too close and the risk of not finding a gown... WELL, i'm glad i didn't rely on this event...because this morning, me and my mom woke up early to go to the event at the mazza gallery in washington, dc to find my cousin's wedding gown...the store opened at 8am...we were there at 8:10am...and we thought there's nothing going on...the storefront was bare...but once we got inside...holy moly...it was like a marketplace...the gown racks were empty...you could see women in their undies walking around with a bunch of gowns on hand...some have set-up their own dressing room in between the clothes racks...when we asked a store personnel if they're bringing out more gowns...he's quick answer was..."all of the 1300 gowns have been brought out...and the racks were stripped out within 30 seconds"...i cannot believe what i'm seeing...some have signs like...need to find a sheath gown - size 10 to 12...there's a bunch of girls wearing bright pink shirts, yelling, we have size 6 and 10, would like to trade with a size 8...you could see some men too..i would assume they're the lucky fiance who got dragged into it...but if i were the man, it would be a feast for the eyes...even i, haven't seen that many girls who could be fully dressed in a minute...and then bare the next as soon as she spots the right dress...occasionally you would hear some loud clapping and some shriek of delight...i guess it's a sign that they've found the ONE...you could also hear some comments from across the room, "that gown fits you better"...of course women check each other out too... well if you ask...what i was doing amidst this chaos...after 5 minutes of just going around...i stepped back and just observed...if i see some gowns strewn around...i check the size, design and who made it...i saw a romona keveza gown for $299...that's a good steal considering the original price was $5000...i just watched the ladies fit into their gowns...admired some...laugh too, as i saw ladies trying to hold their breath to squeeze into what looked like a size too small for them...some have sizes too big for them...some have even documented their search for the ultimate gown...some with cameras and videocams following behind them... we weren't brokenhearted that we didn't find anything..we did have a back-up plan...we'll go and order the dress from the bridal shop where i bought my gown...but it was really fun going there...i'd do it again and go with someone if they're looking for a gown...but you need to have a bunch of girlfriends and someone you can trust to do this gown searching with you...you need to have a game plan and some strategies...because girl...if this is your last choice...goodluck!!! here's a link to a washingtonpost video on a past event... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2006/08/04/VI2006080400530.html * photo by Ben Connors
i wish that i could be the bunny in that energizer commercial that keeps on going and going, equipped with that drum...thump, thump, thump, thump...
but lately my energy level has been like going, going....gone, gone, gone...plop!
i'm a fairly optimistic person...but there are times when it seem like the world conspires against you...work has taken over my life that it forced me to really put aside my wedding preparations and other things for that matter...the days have gone by so quickly that december could just be around the corner...my save the dates have been sitting on a corner of my bedroom -- assembled and ready to be sent out but it's just there sitting because i haven't had the time to get a stamp pad to use for my return address...yesterday i was able to find one, but unfortunately it didn't do the job well, but i had to suck it up and just continue stamping the rest of the envelopes...i need to find a better alternative to do my return address for my main invitation...
so that really dampened my spirits...i've worked hard in perfecting my save the dates and it kinda became from perfection down to a sloppy, half-ass job...not really happy about the output...
before going to work today, i stopped by the post office to send the save the dates...the guy at the counter was filipino and he helped me weigh the envelopes and put the correct amount of stamps...he said he'd do the hand cancelling, so i was happy about that...
although, i'm not making myself clear on why i titled this blog as such...i just wanted to let you know that even with all the vexations i'm encountering...i still find solace in people who have left an indelible mark with the words they have said about me...because that's what keeps me going --- a simple gesture, an act of thanks, a pat in the back, a kind word, a smile and i'm back thump-thumping...
here are some excerpts of what i've been holding on to...and i'm truly grateful for these people who saw something in me... because i honestly treasure the kind words you have bestowed upon me... (NOW -- for those people who don't know me...don't be judgemental and think that i'm all that righteous...there's a DEVIL in me and it can be vicious too...)
* an email from one of the editors i got this morning when my thoughts are just blurred and am wanting to just quit and find another job
--- Bet everyone is looking forward to Congress recessing.... Thanks to everyone who has endured late hours and filed late-breaking stories this week. Mike gets the Red-Eye award for sticking till the bitter 3am end of the Rules Committee markup, and many others are close seconds... Plus, thanks to S for working odd hours to post our breaking news. The site speaks for itself...a fine job to all.
* from my favorite chemistry teacher in high-school-- ma'am zhen, this was supposed to be a message on my multiply but it didn't get posted...
--- S, I saw ALL your detailed preparations for your wedding.. the flowers, the shoes, the venue, the arrangements, the invitation, and read all your blogs about your wedding. I am very much impressed how everything is taken into consideration and how everything is planned in detail very ahead of time.I am amazed how you did all those preparations despite your hectic sked.
S, the wedding preparations and the ceremony matter but what matters the MOST is how you will treat and love each other after the ceremony. Marriage life will take all your skills and talents, optimism and love into action. I pray to our God Almighty that He will bless you and Ozzy as you live together as husband and wife. Just keep the fire of love burning and you won't go wrong. Most of all, invite God to be in your marriage. After that, you can tackle ALL the changes, pressures,stress and problems that you will meet along the way.
S, I pray for more strength for you and peace of mind as you prepare for your marriage. You and Ozzy are blessed to have each other.
Yun lang naman ang sinabi ko sa multiply site mo. Sorry ha? I just wanna say my piece para sa iyo. I love you kasi.
* from marjorie, a batchmate from highscool whom i've reconnected with, because of a hat that i was inquiring about that was sold in Korea where she and her family lives now
-- I was actually thinking of the same thing, that hat was God's way to bring a wonderful person back into my life that I let pass when I was in high school. Everything has its time and place, and maybe this is our time to be good friends.
* from W (who i met through the w@w forum), who posted this on her blog...i kept on reading this because it kinda validated my love for designing wedding stuff
-- SS - who hails in Virginia, USA. Met her in Weddings at Work and I have christened her as my virtual bridesmaid because of all the help that she has been extending to me and B. She was getting brides' opinion via a post showcasing her work (a Save the Date reminder). As I thought she was 'new' to the board, I was eager to help (by giving my .02). When I clicked on her link - my jaw dropped. OMG, these are the works I ALWAYS SEE at TheKnot. Could she be the graphic designer of all those nice stuff I saw back then??? Sent her a private message to thank her for sharing and commend her for the magnificent work she did - and because I was dead curious if she is into designing.
A very humble lass, she said, yes, she does it for fun. Hello??? FOR FUN?!?!?! She can get ultra-rich for the FUN that she's having!!!! Long story short, we exchanged tons of emails because she helped us design our water bottle template, our table tents, and guestsheets. All these for nothing. Zero. zilch. nadda. She celebrated her birthday last Monday - and because I was sick I wasn't able to greet her properly. Her work is tremendous! Her generosity unparalleled. S, if by chance, you read this - B and I are so overwhelmed by the graciousness you extend to us. You are a great friend and thanks a million for the awesome work you are doing for us! :)
***
these are just a few of the many i've received that keeps me going everyday...find happiness in the small things that make life worthwhile...just the other day...as i was going down the escalator to the metro station...four guys were making beautiful music with their varying voices blending without any instruments at all...it made me so happy that i dug into my bag and find some loose change which took awhile and which made me miss my train by a few seconds...but it did make my day brighter in some way...even if i had to wait another 15 mins to catch the next train...
and today, getting the effects of not having enough sleep...having an extremely warm weather, and an extremely freezing office...been experiencing runny nose and a slight fever...i get a text from ozzy..."ano gawa mo? sana andito ka para may niyayakap ako"...(ay ang corny)...lol!
so there goes the bunny...going, going...gone, gone, gone...--- (thoughts of these people)....going, going, going....thump, thump, thump, thump...and then i start singing...i get knocked down..but i get up again...(just kidding)
YOU?? what makes you going?
i got a postcard from the bridal shop last night saying that my gown has arrived...wahhoooo!!...i called them today to set an appointment for fitting...the person i talked to...asked me to bring my shoes and undergarments that i'll be using....uh oh...the shoes i got...but the undergarments??...what kind???....HELP???...all i know is that i need to buy some SPANX to smoothen out those bulges....
note to self...START EXERCISING tomorrow...i've slacked off after the bday party...with my busy schedule i don't have time to even squeeze a 20 mins. workout...
here's a blow-by-blow account of what happened during my joint birthday celebration with my brother...these are for the people who weren't able to come...SORRY...you MISSED OUT...=)..just kidding...WISH YOU WERE THERE...
so we celebrated it earlier than usual, my real birthday was the 17th and my brother's the 23rd...we started thursday--we polished our silver trays and chafing dishes...it was a paaaaaaaaaiiinn...those solvents for silver smells like somebody ate rotten cabbage and then farted and that fart lingered in the air...that bad...
my mom planned everything...this was her bday gift to us...so she took off work on friday and shopped for the necessary stuff...when i got home we started preparing like wrapping and rolling about 300 pieces of lumpia...hahahaha!...
woke up early saturday and started slicing all the ingredients for the dishes...and then by mid-afternoon we were almost done with all of the dishes...ready to go to the oven except for the potatoes...so i started peeling them..and then my mom started slicing them with the mandolin...she miscalculated the thickness of the potato she's holding..next thing you know she had cut off part of her finger...she even had the courage to take out the skin that got cut (which was a wrong move, as we learned later)...blood was oozing but my mom, the trooper that she is, said the party must go on so we put some bandages and she put on gloves...but at that point i was really worried because you could actually see the bones...it wasn't for the faint of heart...
guests started arriving at 730 PM...we served "lumpiang shanghai" (spring rolls), crab cakes, barbecued chicken wings and shrimps for appetizers...and then started opening up bottles of rothschild wine...we also had a bucket full of budweisers and heinekens...
we invited our neighbors too...so the guests were very diverse...and of course there's no birthday party without our adopted sisters and brothers...=)...my friends treat my mom like their mom too...
friends started coming in and chowing on the appetizers that we didn't serve dinner 'til about 930PM...we had pancit, potatoes au gratin (my favorite, but the finger culprit), leg of lamb, baked salmon with mango salsa and black beans, grilled korean beef short ribs, rice biryani (indian style rice), chole (indian style chickpeas), spicy chicken legs, beef stew, shrimps, green salad with hearts of palms, olives and avocado...WHEW!
and for dessert my mom baked two cakes...since my brother always complain that we only get to blow one cake...so she made two...one chocolate..and one white cake with fruits and whipped cream...then my mom's friend brought leche flan (custard)...
everybody raved about the food as usual...if my mom entertains nothing's a miss..it's always a hit...everybody was full and contented...everybody was saying we should celebrate our birthdays three times a year and they're asking when's the next party...oh...here's a funny thing too...we have a guest whose been a vegetarian for 20 years...and then suddenly we saw her eating the beef short ribs...she was like...i can't stop..i just had to try it....i guess that's the end of her being a vegetarian...hahaha...my mom brought out macanudo and davidoff cigars for the men...and then we finished it off with some karaoke...=)...the party broke down at 3AM...
THANKS MOMMY FOR A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY...it would have been much better without the finger incident...but i do appreciate all the effort you've put into it...I LOVE YOU...
i went to bed with azelina...but i was still hyper so we watched some korean drama...
woke up on sunday and became a "basurera"...WHY??...because as much as it was dirty and filthy...i went through all the trash and picked out the recyclables...
my mom had to go to the doctor to have her finger checked...doctor even told my mom if she could still find the skin she took out of the finger so it can just be stitched...the doctor told her that she should have gone to the emergency for stitches right after it was cut...so the doctor had suggested skin grafting...the finger would heal but it would still look like it had a missing portion...=(
*******************
on the day of my bday my officemate surprised me with a key lime pie...and then another chocolate cake was brought to me...i did not expect it...but it was so sweet of them...makes you really feel like you belong...so as usual...if there's food...we advertise...=)...i sent out an email alert to all of my coworkers...within seconds everything was gone...
 
after work...me and my family had a quiet dinner...we went to one of our favorite korean restaurant...i had dolsot bibim bab and galbi...i love the side dishes they serve...  
so that's a rundown of my birthday...I thank God for all the blessings I receive...i will be forever grateful and continue to share what i can...all i ask is for me, my family and friends to remain healthy and that no harm will come to them...bless me more so i can share my blessings...
... we're booked!..we're leaving DC on Nov. 30...arriving in Manila on Dec. 1...i'll be staying in Manila for two days to fix the necessary papers and then we're off to Baguio...wahooo!!
... last weekend was a blast..my mom and i went to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's concert at the Verizon center...they did a version of "how to save a life"...and then "it's your love"..but my all time favorite was their encore performance..they sang "i need you"...i want this to be played on our wedding....i don't know some of their songs...but Faith sang most of her popular songs except for "There You'll Be"....i was shrieking not because i know the songs...but they're just too sweet...you could really tell they're so much in love...Tim kept holding her hands...and they did kiss...kinilig ako!... my gown will arrive on July 20...i haven't reached my weight goal...i hope i'd fit into the gown though...i did loose some weight but not that much..hahahaha!... me and my brother's celebrating our birthday early...i didn't wanna celebrate it but my mom insisted...and so i obliged..=)...never hurt to get some gifts..seriously...hahaha...i just didn't want her to get tired...
yupz...that's right...i've been remiss on blogging about things lately but i've reason to...FIRST, been really busy with work...SECOND, eye allergies are getting worse that i couldn't stand to get into the computer when i get home after staring at the computer for the whole day.... BUT...we've reached the half mark so i'm slowly getting into wedding mode yet again...how SO?....i've brought all my wedding resources out last week and started brainstorming...more like racking my brain...wanna SEE??.... 
just to let you know...that i've been collecting these magz..even without having proposed to yet...call it crazy, but many of you would probably agree that the best flower arrangements and table settings are found on these magazines....not to mention drool-worthy wedding gowns and travel escapades...notice some of the magz dated around 2003...plus i've been known during my document creation heyday to be the wedding invitation guru...i've found some of my inspirations here... ****************** AND then two weeks ago, we went to the kingstowne side of virginia...dropped by walmart..and guess what i saw....WEDDING stuff at HALF the PRICE...wahOOO!!....so i bought these tiaras for the flower girls... 
priced at 40 dollars in Michael's were priced at 14 dollars and 5 dollars respectively.... my mom also found a handy way of gathering my flowers on a bouquet... 
and then found some bubbles for the kids to play with... 
also found flower girl baskets...i was going to DIY it...but i found it reasonably priced..so i bought it...it's simple with tiny pearl studs and ribbons... 
************************** i've also completed a mock-up of my save the dates...and it was approved...so here you go...will be sending this soon.... 
i've also drafted and made a first mock-up of my cousin's wedding invitation...her wedding's a week after mine.... 
so there you go...i'm back...=)
Oz and I haven't talked about whether we should write our own vows or do the traditional wedding vows. Although one can say that written vows are more personal, i've seen too many wherein it was done last minute by the groom's sister (even written on napkins), or instantly done by the dorky groomsman --- somehow it just defeats the purpose. I would love to hear sweet words, but i wouldn't want unreal, flowery ones, i'd rather go for -- i promise to help you with the laundry, take out the trash on trash-day, separate the plastics, paper and metal for recycling, cook dinner for you when you're sick, make you feel beautiful even if you're heavier than the heaviest blue whale (ok that's exaggeration, LOL!); that sort of thing. On the other hand, i would also like to say -- for richer and richer, 'til death do us part.... And so i wonder, if the priest could allow us to say both personal and traditional...and if oz is up to writing his own vows...OZ, are you reading this???? ****************************** And, as a Grey's Anatomy watcher, here's sharing you what surgeon Burke said...he was operating on a heart at that time (pretty apt i might say), the intern prodded him to practice his vows on them... Cristina, i could promise to hold you, and to cherish you, i can promise to be there in sickness and in health, I could say till death do us part. but I won't. Those vows, are for optimistic couples, the ones full of hope. And I do not stand here on my wedding day optimistic or full of hope. I am not optimistic, I am not hopeful; I am sure. I am steady. and I know. I am a heart man -- i take them apart, i put them back together, I hold them in my hands. I, am a heart man. so this I am sure, you are my partner, my lover, my very best friend. my heart, MY heart beats for you. and on this day, the day of our wedding, i promise you this: i promise to lay my heart in the palm of your hands. i promise you, me. CAN'T GET ENOUGH..here's the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nIdEbSl3OA AAAAAAWWWWWWWW....
my aunt malu...who is like my second mother, has spared me the pressure of having to deal with very strict requirements at St. Joseph, so she went ahead and booked the Baguio Cathedral, i didn't know why i didn't choose this in the first place...i guess i was thinking that St. Joseph was closer to the reception...but i'm glad that she did...because the Baguio Cathedral has a lovely facade, it's in the heart of the city...
pictures are taken by our official wedding photographer: Aris Go
my mom and i used to go out very often -- whether it be shopping, watching movies, scouting out new restaurants..wherever she is, i'm there... but as work becomes so hectic and there were other stuff to take care of...our time together became lesser... we live in the same house, but with exhaustion and coming home late...one tend to retire to the bedroom after dinner...thus we forego watching the tv together...we go to our own respective bedrooms, she does sudoku or watch classic movies; i read a book or watch a movie i rented to help me sleep, or if oz is in manila, i give him a call or chat with him for awhile...as a background, my mom likes movies that have deeper meaning or something one could hail as oscar worthy...while i on the other hand, don't like violent, gory movies -- i'm more of a fantasy, romantic, comedy, escape from reality kind of a gal...that's just the way i am, when i watch, i like to be happy, i like to giggle and laugh out loud...so something that i would consider a nice movie, could be horrible to her...being subscribed to netflix, i get movies that i like, and then i get movies that my mom likes...she gives me a list of what she wants to watch...
i've had on my list, "Palace: Princess Hours" for awhile...but it always gets bumped by a new movie...or there's a long wait for the first dvd..Princess Hours have 9 dvds and it's a korean drama series...i chanced upon it while browsing for some asian flicks...it had good reviews, so i placed it on my queue...so when i got the first dvd...i just got sucked into it...it's a light-hearted fantasy drama about a commoner forced to marry a crown prince because of an arrangement made by their forefathers...so i couldn't wait for the next set of dvds to arrive...just when i'm about to return it...my mom asked me about it..and i told her that it's a wonderfully made series...so she borrowed it ...turned out, it wouldn't play on her dvd player..so she watched it in my room...she fell for the series too...so for 8 days...we couldn't wait 'til dinner is over so we could watch it...we enjoyed it tremendously...that after seeing the 15th episode...i knew it was a keeper so i ordered the dvds from amazon...it was a great move because the last dvd was delayed from netflix and by that time, my shipment from amazon arrived...i truly loved the series...but not only that...it was because i was able to share it with my mom...we laughed, got pissed, cried a little together..had some midnight snacks (one dvd is about three hours, it sometime lasted 'til the wee hours)...and talked about it TOGETHER...i will treasure these kind of moments that i have with my mom...i'm pretty sure that when oz comes...we couldn't do that anymore...
my mom's cool like that...i'm keeping the dvds, so i could one day watch it with my daughter too...i wish i could be mom's little girl forever...i somehow think i still am that little kid...but when reality sets in...in a few months i will be somebody else's girl...xcess: when we talked about the series with my relatives from the philippines, it had a good following too...even my aunt watched it...haaaiii...what a good drama can do...
been a long time since my last blog...nothing major happened except for a health scare that happened to me last monday...let's just say that it was pretty scary, the symptoms were kinda like the big C...my fears were put to rest on saturday when i went to the doctor...thank God...i just have to be really, really careful...
so what else happened?....we hosted a birthday party for our adopted twins-- taj and taz...well, not really adopted..but they're like my mom's kids...and when the idea of celebrating their bday at our house came up...they quickly agreed with no hesitation whatsoever...
so the house was packed with kids...boys in the computer room...and girls in my room watching "the grudge"...somebody brought the dvd with them and they scare themselves out...hahaha...the younger kids was just all around the house...i rented "happy feet" for them but they found the movie boring...WHAT?..how can kids find that boring?...
that's them with their ice cream cake...we can't find any candles...there's this little girl whose very elusive, the first thing she did when she stepped into our house is go directly to the restroom and stayed there...without lights!...well, as my mom said before, i have more magnetic aura from kids than men...so after sometime..she loosened up..
after that..she wouldn't even wanna leave the house!!*****************
i have designed our wedding invitation and made a mock-up of it....with the accents and all, i found it too loud....i'm waiting for my next sample papers to test out my new design..but here's a picture of my initial invitation...
with the band around it, the graphics became an eye sore...so i'm keeping it subtle...
************************
what else....my mom bought me a nice painting for my room...
with my existing frames around the room..she re-arranged it while i was doing some house chores....here's how it looked like...
i even got a new headboard, changed my sheets to something springy...i love it!!....ummm...i need more frames...
and lastly, even if it pains me to think about what happened...the Vtech tragedy is close to home...our neighbor's son studies at Vtech and he was a senior engineering student...so the first thing that came to our mind was him...his mom was in London and at that time we have no news from him....even if i don't know him that well..as the victims' name pour in, i was just counting the names...since it was said that there were 33 victims...i felt relieved when all was accounted for and he's not in it....i just pray that anyone who feels hatred in their heart can find love and hope, life is too precious to waste...i whine and complain about alot of things..but in the end i still consider myself lucky-- in all aspects....i really thank God for keeping me grounded...and at the moment, saving me from bouts of terrible worry.....
...because i have a david tuttera--preston bailey---party planner--all-in-one-person at home..no other than my super MOM....
she's been planning high-powered private parties for a very long time now...
it is her creativity and her obsession to perfection that led her to a job that she really loved...
to think that she graduated as a chemical engineer....it is her eye for details...and her ability to envision the final setting...that led her to a job that used to be a hobby only.....she didn't go to school for this and yet when she does her magic, guests have only one word...WOW!...
i am so proud of my MOM.....and i am lucky to have a portion of her creativity with the wedding paraphernalias that i do....i've yet to learn a lot...but i do hope that i achieve some of what she has achieved...=)
more of her stuff here...
Dec. 22...these events in history happened...
General Interest
1956 : First gorilla born in captivity
1894 : Dreyfus affair begins in France
1971 : Waldheim elected U.N. secretary-general
1984 : The Bernhard Goetz subway shooting
1989 : Romanian government falls
American Revolution
1775 : Continental Congress creates a Continental Navy
Automotive
1900 : Mercedes is born
1952 : First Corvette is completed
Civil War
1864 : Sherman presents Lincoln with a Christmas gift
Cold War
1990 : Lech Walesa sworn in as president of Poland
Crime
1978 : John Wayne Gacy confesses
Disaster
1939 : Express trains collide in Germany
Entertainment
1949 : Robin and Maurice Gibb born
1972 : Joni Mitchell goes gold
Literary
1849 : Dostoevsky reprieved at last minute
Old West
1884 : John Chisum dies in Arkansas
Presidential
1968 : Julie Nixon marries David Eisenhower
--On
this day in 1968, Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower, both progeny of
United States presidents, tie the knot in New York City.
Julie
Nixon was the daughter of Richard M. Nixon, who was running for
president at the time of the wedding. Her groom was the grandson of
Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as America’s 34th president from 1953
to 1961. Julie and David met at the Republican National Convention in
San Francisco, California, in 1956 while his grandfather was
campaigning for re-election. They were both eight at the time. At the
convention, Julie’s father was nominated as Eisenhower’s running mate.
The two were frequently thrown together during Eisenhower’s second term
and shared the unusual experience of growing up under the spotlight of
national politics. They started dating in 1967, when they were both 19.
Author
Tabitha Warters, who studied presidential offspring, noted that Julie
and David offered Americans the ideal image of a "wholesome,
all-American couple" at a time when the nation was undergoing a
counter-cultural revolution and traditional family and relationship
roles were being challenged. Warters quoted Nixon as describing his
daughter and her fiance as "front-line troops in the battle to
reestablish…traditional virtues," particularly during his 1968
presidential campaign.
Both
Julie and David wrote books about their famous and influential
relatives. They are still married, have three children and live in
Pennsylvania.
Vietnam War
1971 : Soviet Union attacks Chinese policy toward Vietnam
1972 : Washington announces Linebacker II raids will continue
Wall Street
1807 : House passes Embargo Act
1997 : Coke buys Orangina
World War I
1917 : Russian-German peace talks begin at Brest-Litovsk
World War II
1941 : Churchill and Roosevelt discuss war and peace
****
well, someone did get MARRIED on that day...and they're still TOGETHER....=)
we always pass by this quaint boutique(near our house) on our way to work that looks like a gown shop of some sort...so i've been bugging my mom to visit it because we might be able to find a gown for her and a bridesmaid's gown for me to wear on my cousin's wedding...so after an appointment with the dermatologist last saturday...my mom finally gave in to my constant prodding and decided to drop by the shop...when we entered the shop, we were surprised by the number of wedding gowns they have..so we just browsed as we didn't have any appointment...i saw this lovely gown but i automatically backed-up because of the price...and then my mom saw the GOWN...my dream wedding gown..it has all what i've hoped for in a gown...and then suddenly the owner showed up behind us and asked us if we wanted to try it...i was a little hesitant because i wasn't ready yet..and i still have a lot of weight to loose...but the owner was gracious enough so we pulled several wedding gowns from the rack..my mom asked me to try the GOWN first...it was a size fourteen but since it had a corset the owner pulled the strings tight and made the necessary adjustments with pins...lo and behold..it was lovely...my mom looked like she was about to weep...it was a sight...i didn't know how to explain the feeling but i was giddy and nervous at that moment..5 minutes later..i was making a downpayment for the gown...it's a good thing we ordered early...it takes about 6 months before we could get the final gown...i'm going to have my final fitting around september...
so after searching for gowns..from high end shops to browsing online..i couldn't believe that the gown that i wanted lies about a mile from our house...although the price was a little beyond my range..my mom, oz, my mother-in-law to be, my godparents and aunts supported my decision in getting it...i was really guilty at first because i'll be wearing an expensive gown for just one day...but they said that i truly deserve it..i've been working so hard...and i was really happy about how i looked like in that gown...who wouldn't want to be a princess for one day...even one of my godparents told me..it is expensive-- yes...the money you could always find, but your happiness, you just can't....
and adding to that joy is that my mother-in-law-to-be sent me pictures of our wedding bands...i'm so happy...wahhoo!!...purebliss...
by the way, as much as i want to post the picture of the wedding gown...i didn't want oz to see it...
it's been a long time since my last post...but here's one thing i couldn't forget the past weeks...i had the weirdest dream....
the
dream was that i was walking towards the altar to oz..and when i
reached him..he just told me outright that he's GAY!...WHHHHAATTTT??
that's
the dream...so i called oz and told him about the dream...he was
miffed..but then we had a good laugh after that...i was telling
him..."sabihin mo na ng maaga baka may tinatago ka"...but in defense to
my h2b...he's all man...i love him for what he is...he used to be so
tough and not in touch with his emotions..but after being with
overdramatic, sensitive me..he's learned to be a softie...thus, the
gayness..hahahahahahahaha!
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