The Sea Green Journal

Georgia loves her naps (I love mine too! Haha.) and she usually has them in the afternoon. When I am out of the house the whole day, I am told that she doesn’t really do a lot of her naps and she ends up going up to our room. She “knocks” on our door to check if I’m just inside. She’s beyond cute! ♥

But when I am home, I make sure she can enjoy her naps. She cuddles right next to me and immediately goes to bed. She has in fact (for the most part) gotten used to still napping while I’m working on stuff (her favorite thing to do is come up to me while I’m in the midst of sketching something and she has the  tendency to lay down on top of my work. Haha.). She isn’t too keen about me facing my drafting table for a very long time though.

Also, she looks totally adorable when she is asleep. Sometimes she barks in her sleep or she wiggles her tail  – I sometimes would think that she is dreaming about her treats when she does the latter. The end. Haha.

P.S. When I am having a tough day, it helps to look at cute pictures – this is how I ended up writing this post (and talking about Georgia’s naps) in the first place. Such a weirdo, Pau.  But yeah, you can never go wrong with too much cuteness. Haha. Love you Georgia!

P.P.S. She had a shorter haircut than usual but it’s her “summer cut”. Quite perfect for the hot weather.

Rainy Tuesday. Another food log – I’m thinking about doing this, the logs (I mean I love food documentation plus the actual meal itself. Haha.)

Just a couple of quick iphone shots of some of the stuff I had today. I felt quite faint after (haha) but company was beyond awesome.

 
 
P.S. I’m excited for my stools (!), flooring option experiment and I’m listening to awesome music
 
 
 

I am at loss for words at the moment. I do have a lot of photograph backlog so I’ll work those. I also have to finalize two designs for armchairs I’m working on at the moment and finalize a color scheme. I have to move my butt and start getting a couple of things made. In some ways, I have come to realize that I tend to use this journal as a receptacle for my to-do lists. I’ll have to try and stop doing that and just stick to paper like how normal people do it. Haha.

Green Design talk pictures soon! I thought I was gonna be able to post them today but I still lack a couple more. Also, I have a long Georgia to-do list as well. She isn’t due for her other annual shots for a couple more months but I do need to get her a couple more things. I’ve been doing some research on stuff that would be best for Georgia. Talk about that next week when I pick up one of the big items.

Anyhow, I’m off for a snack. Toodles!

P.S. I guess the words start coming back when I get started ticking off things from the top of my head. Silly Pau. Haha.

I was able to work on a couple of things today and I’m happy about that. I’ll be sourcing for a bunch of stuff hopefully next week. Excited to finalize the floor layout and tiles as well as a bunch of other things.

On to a different matter, Georgia has been enjoying her new haircut (Yup, we went to the groomers last weekend) as of late and I did notice this. She seems to have an extra spring to her step and she has been eating a lot lately too. Yey, mummy’s happy. Haha.

Also, I don’t know why but I’m sort of feeling under the weather. I mean I’m still laughing and I’d love to eat some ice cream right about now but I’m nursing a tummy ache plus I feel sore everywhere (except the hair. Haha.). I’m turning in now and will hopefully be much better tomorrow.

Yup, random musings as of late and making to-do lists (mentally) it seems. Haha. By the way, I went over some of my files and found this picture of a fun night I once had (and I wasn’t feeling under the weather then at all). Yey for getting well motivation pictures.  Haha. This was a lot of fun and I miss these amazing ladies. That’s it for now.

P.S. I guess being sick makes me more random (and extra chatty) than usual? That’s my excuse for this post. *Cheshire cat grin*

I dropped by a drugstore today with my sister because she was in need of a couple of things and it was conveniently near where we had a prior appointment and where we grabbed some lunch. I did a quick scan of the shelves and a whole row of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo bottles caught my eye. It immediately brought me back to memories of my childhood when my mom would wash our hair with No More Tears shampoo. Nostalgia made me grab a bottle and after an amazing run a couple of hours ago, I had one of the most awesome showers of my life. It was with one of the most amazing shampoos in the world and my childhood.

It’s funny how the little things make all the difference at times.

P.S. I love vintage shampoo ads a lot! ♥

P.P.S. Yup, I know I say “amazing” and “awesome” a lot. Let’s be friends still. Haha.

I guess I’m still riding out my “love/romantic theme” for today. For this post, I’m featuring a summary of Dr. Deborah Anapol’s book entitled, “The Seven Natural Laws of Love”.  She’s amazing for writing this.

It’s actually quite insightful and I’m sharing it to everyone in the hopes that we can all learn something from it. The concept of Valentine’s Day isn’t solely about romantic love. For me (in general), it’s the celebration of love and all it’s forms and types. Cheers!

Love is its own law. Let love be your guiding principle. When in doubt, listen to your heart. Don’t allow mental concepts, beliefs, or assumptions that are not based on love to dictate your behavior.

The law of source. You are the source of love. The love inside you is abundant and eternal. You don’t need to beg, control or compromise in order to be loved.

The law of attraction. The more you focus on love and gratitude, the more you will be surrounded by love. If you complain, blame, and dwell on fear, you’ll attract others who are also resentful, angry, and fearful.

The law of unity. Love knows no borders and no boundaries. Love includes everyone and everything. Love takes no position, rising above separation. Find unity within by resolving the conflicts inside yourself and you won’t have to act them out with another.

The law of truth. Let telling the truth about who you are and what you are feeling and thinking be your foundation. Vulnerable self-disclosures allow for empathy and understanding. The more truth is shared the more love grows.

The law of consciousness. Love is a state of consciousness available only when you’re willing to relinquish your defenses. Protection is a barrier to love. Love cannot be given or taken but it can be shared. The vibration of love in you is often stimulated when you come into contact with one who carries it.

The law of forgiveness. Its okay to make mistakes. Very few humans are able to love perfectly. Forgive yourself and others generously and you’ll always have a second chance. Focus more on giving than getting and you’ll have much less forgiving to do.

P.S. I wish to do a shout-out (sort of) to my original Valentine/VALENTINEs. Happy Valentine’s Day Mum and Dad! I love you forever.

P.P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day to Georgia’s dada and to my little one as well. I love you, Georgia! ♥

(Beautiful Prints by J.M. Barclay)

I really really love this ad from Mercedes-Benz (it’s really artsy!) and no, it’s not an ad with cars in it. It’s something entirely cool and different (both in concept and design), a really good ad in my opinion. I won’t say too much, just check it for yourself below.

So, which portion of your brain is the dominant one?

P.S. If you aren’t that acquainted with this, here is a quick brief. When a person develops a dominance towards one side of their brain, they tend to have certain areas of interest and even characteristics in common. The left side (left cerebral hemisphere) of the brain is often thought of as the logical, thinking side while right brain dominant people are thought of as the artists and dreamers of the world.  I just want to make it clear though that this doesn’t necessarily mean that if one is dominant in one field, he is quite poor in the other – he simply has strengths in different areas.

Personally, I can’t entirely make up my mind if I am left or right brained. Haha. Yup, I know that I am in the design/arts industry and I tend to gravitate towards it more but I did come from a Science High School (and proud of it!) a few years back . Boggling right? A Science Scholar who pursued  Fine Arts. Haha.  I also find that I manifest things that are done in the left brain (this includes the part wherein they mentioned that Left Brained People tend to be dog lovers as opposed to Right Brained People who are cat lovers. It even made me laugh. Love you Georgia! ).  Anyhow, I’m settling on being a mixture of both but gravitating more towards the right brain.

P.P.S. Want to find out which portion is more dominant for you? Try out this cool test (it’s more of a creativity test really but it does the job), click here. It said that I am more right brained than left-brained. I guess I’m right with my initial assumption above. Haha.

Today has been a good day so far, it’s a holiday here in the Philippines to mark the Chinese New Year. I was pretty proud of myself for finishing the design concept and the perspective I was working on (finishing up) the night before – still basking in the aftermath. Yup, all those long hours and times when I was just a blank that I avoided my drafting table all together eventually came to an amazing conclusion – it turned out quite good actually. I’m a genius! Haha.

I had a late lunch and since I wanted something “meat free”, I decided to create some sort of concoction with the stuff I was able to find in the pantry and the fridge. It turned out to be really good actually. I made a mental note of said spontaneous recipe for future consumption. Behold, my button mushroom toppings! I added in some veg and some herbs and some awesome garlic (and a couple of secret ingredients. *winkwink*). So creamy in consistency and yummy!

But my culinary wondrousity did not end there. After a couple minutes, I thought of something else. (awesome!) I guess I decided to take advantage of how gastronomically inspired I was. (I’m joking with the statements above. I’m not really full of myself. Haha.) Lo and behold, amazing pancakes as an afternoon snack. I decided to try out this new pancake flour thingymajig and added in some blueberries and cranberries as well as some oatmeal and vanilla (Yup, and some secret ingredients). I paired this with some raspberry jam – I swear it was delicious! Gone in a couple of minutes. Amazingly, everyone was quite enthusiastic and cooperative with the eating. Haha. 

P.S. Look who we have here. Its the little one! Hi Georgia She decided to stretch out on top of my sketch whilst I was tinkering with it. Yup, on top of my drawing of all places. You are just the cutest Georgia Porgia ♥ I had to take a picture.

By the way, we are off to the vet tomorrow for her follow-up. She wasn’t feeling well early on the year and it was scary (Should I do a post on this?). Yup, a couple of x-rays, some stuff and we are slowly going back to normal I hope. If she appears to be a little scruffy to you (she’s certainly not alone. I feel scruffy too. Haha.), it’s because her doctor is putting bath/groom time on hold until she gets better.

I’m inviting everyone who are in Cebu for Sinulog to drop by if you can and if you want us interior designers to paint stuff (works of art really. haha.) on you. I for one am not comfortable painting stuff on people’s faces but overall I’m sure its gonna be fun. Haha. We have been doing this for a couple of years now and proceeds will go to a beneficiary we choose. Pit Senyor Everyone! I wish you all an amazing Sinulog

P.S. January was just all over the place for me so far and thus the lack of entries. But you are all in my thoughts and I wish you all an awesome weekend.

P.P.S. Curious about Sinulog? or about our face painting event? For an overview (sort of), do click here.

“Lou Lou Who: I’m glad he took our presents. You can’t hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, beacuse it isn’t about the… the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights. That’s what Cindy’s been trying to tell everyone… and me. I don’t need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family.”

“The Grinch: It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
Narrator : The the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
The Grinch : Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…
Narrator : He thought
The Grinch : …means a little bit more.”

Merry Christmas to you and to your families, Everyone! ♥

P.S. This may be the awesomest Christmas I ever had to date. I am very very grateful for the gift of family and loved ones!

Christmas is indeed a very busy season. I have been having a busy couple of days. I was quite pooped yesterday (and today as well). Dawn mass (seventh day later; we do that here in the Philippines and if you complete the whole nine days, they say that any wish you ask will come true.), hospital for some tests, dropped by PRC to take care of some stuff before they close for the holidays (one thing to cross off my to-do list), awesome hunt for beddings for a king sized bed (I love the stuff I was able to put together, awesome  awesome threadcount too! I could post pictures after the set-up.), ham shopping (prime cuts make a big difference), I found some sage as well and some errands for mom (presents, etc.). I also have been having a bit of the sniffles, I hope I don’t get sick entirely. I’ve been taking lots of Vitamin C. Lastly, Georgia has a “situation” and I am frazzled lately because of this (She’s all grown up! *sniff* I miss her Dada too. ). Also, her fringe/bangs are in need of a good trim because I can barely see her eyes  now and she doesn’t like clips so we have to visit the groomers soon. But in entirety, she is alright and I am thankful.

Design/work-wise, I have a couple of things that I need to finish and get over with (Urgent tab for added motivation). On a different note, Gift Guide post up tomorrow!

Yup, random thoughts. Haha.

P.S. I’ve been spreading the word on Typhoon Sendong. It really saddens me that this had to happen, let us all help out in any way that we can. My family and I are donating as well. There are different ways for you to help out (you can donate relief goods such as clothing, blankets, canned goods, drinking water, rice and anything you think will be of some help to the victims of the typhoon) and I have seen a couple of drop off areas in Cebu. Thanks!

P.P.S. Please pray for my mom as well.

I love Christmas and I love everything about this amazing holiday. I haven’t been feeling the Christmas spirit yet and I sort of lost track that it’s December already (perhaps its also because we have been worrying about my mom being sick). But in spite of this, some of my future posts will be festive in honor of this time of the year. I decided to do a gift guide after all and I’ll also do the Christmas decór guide I mentioned before. Don’t worry, these two things are actually ready – it’s just a matter of posting really.

Georgia is fine, she is still adjusting to her new cousin (my sister’s new puppy) in the house. He got here safe, good flight. I’ve also been having a couple of busy days lately and I do have some email backlog so I’ll work on that as well.  Also, I hope I get to finish the design plans I am working on at the moment so that we can get things done. Sometimes I wonder if this design journal is a planner/to-do list tracker. It sort of is, thus the randomness and the abrupt sentences. Haha.

By the way, I am loving the design concept (for their set) that Ruche is featuring for their Holiday Lookbook. It’s awesome, check it out below!

P.S.Christmas is less than two weeks away. Wow!

December is one of my favorite months of the year and I have always loved Christmas since I was a kid. There is something magical about it and I love looking at sparkling lights at night.

I have been getting reacquainted with my drafting table as of late (we have an amazing bond for a couple of years now, we even went to Manila together for review and boards.). Things haven’t been easy lately as well but it’s alright and I just hope things will turn around for the better eventually. Anyhow, I will definitely be doing a post on holiday interiors for your home and perhaps a gift guide of some sort (I’m still contemplating the latter).

Do stay tuned and I wish you all a Happy December!

P.S. I am loving the pictures/works of art in this post. I wanted to save posting Pantone’s Christmas balls for this month and thus here it is. I actually love them and they would look quite awesome hanging on someone’s Christmas tree.

P.P.S. Georgia’s cousin (i.e. my sister’s puppy) is already aboard the puppy plane and we will be meeting him on Wednesday at the airport. I wish him a safe flight and I do admit, I’m a bit anxious for the big change but I do hope they will become awesome friends.

Fresh Oysters?

Nope, not in my tummy (I have nothing against oysters but I don’t eat them). We ordered some as well for lunch. By the way, today is an awesome day (although it’s not over yet, we had a long morning) and I am very grateful to God (Thank you!). I am full and contented and have decided to do a quick “What’s in my tummy log” of some sort.

The Crème Brûlée sampler was quite good and the serving was just right since everything was quite rich. I also enjoyed the Churros Con Chocolate. We also had some tuna sisig and yes, I took pictures (just a couple) as always. I liked the place where we had lunch and they do shark feeding. How cool is that (in a sense)?

Georgia and I both were able to take awesome showers as well and are now squeaky clean. That’s all for now with the randomness, General.

Quick Add: Ate Tatie had about 14-16 oysters.Yeah boy! Haha.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Though a favorite (I loved singing it!) while I was growing up, I had forgotten about this song until today. It is  a comforting reminder and a very big help to me right now.

To those who are having a hard/difficult time at the moment, this song is dedicated to you and to all of us. Cheers!

P.S. If you haven’t heard of this song before, have a listen here.

P.P.S. Perhaps I should make it a mantra of some sort?

I fell in love with all the amazing illustrations in this post. I have always had an affinity for Zebras (Yes, I seem to have an affinity for lots of things and when I meet nice and brilliant people, I always end up wanting to adopt them. Haha.). Not only do I enjoy Zebra prints on clothes and my loafers (as well as my Sanuks), but even my online design portfolio was inspired by Zebras.

I find them unique, edgy yet elegant, puzzling (Is it white with black stripes or black with white stripes?) and they go well with pops of loud and neon colors. They are quite beautiful too! Rest assured, when I do settle on what my dream place will be like, Zebras will never be overlooked in the mix. I might even get one if they have teacup ones. Haha.

Enjoy the brilliant illustrations from Jose Luis Romero, a Creative Designer and Illustrator below. Love!♥

P.S. For updates of a more personal nature, I am a busy bee at the moment and my to-do list is a bit long. I hope I can get everything accomplished right away. Since I cannot exactly expound on the serious work stuff on my list, I would love to babble a bit about the not so serious ones. So, I did some cleaning in preparation for Saturday and I am grateful that I had some help as well. For someone so tiny, I have a lot of stuff!

I hope to take some pictures as well for something and Georgia needs a bath as well. I do have to check if she is due for her other deworming medication and she smells like mangoes. She had been eating some during lunch, her whiskers are yellow! How random am I?

P.P.S It’s 11-11-11 soon and I just want to say that you are loved, all of you.

I believe this is sort of out of the blue. We are going on a trip/holiday/brief get-away. I don’t know what to call it  really since – 1.It’s not our usual “protocol”, it’s a trip that was made totally out of the blue, 2. We won’t be going out of the country, 3. I’ll be away but it’ll be brief because I’ll be back before Sunday. Do I sound confusing?

I’ll be lugging (haha) my camera along so I’ll be taking pictures. My camera and I are excited. I know I have quite a backlog with regards to pictures that I need to work on but I will be doing something about that.

By the way, I love the lovely, lovely, lovely illustrations above by amazing Gabriella Barouch. I love them a great deal, they exude a romantic and vintage feel about them.

See you all when I get back from my wachamacallit. It’ll be awesome. ♥

How was your Halloween?

We had a long weekend here and it passed by so fast. It’s already November! I was planning to watch a horror documentary (and munch on some chips) with my sister but we had to cancel that because she got scared (haha).  Enjoy the fierce and eerily fashionable pictures by Jeff Orgina above.

P.S. I find it cool that the model was holding a Philippine flag in one of the pictures

P.P.S. I was able to enjoy a couple of beautiful mornings by the beach and spend some time with special friends. Oh, it’s been raining here as well.

Hello Everyone!

I have yet to work on the pictures I took while I was away on a trip the other weekend. I hope I can post them soon. A favorite quote from Kelly with regards to delays, “Life happens to us all”. I am not trying to be cheeky but she is right and I found that simple statement to be quite profound.

My sister came home for our mom (went to pick her up at the airport this morning) and I am quite happy about that. Yey!

By the way, Georgia is a natural when she gets her picture taken. I am such a proud mommy. Haha. *puffs chest out with pride*

Note: I can’t seem to string a couple of sentences at the moment and the thoughts above are quite random stuff, right off the top of my head. I will get some sleep for now and perhaps update this post tomorrow? (i.e. Add a couple more paragraphs). We’ll see.

Goodnight!

Quick Add (I am feeling a bit serious at the moment): With regards to the shoot above, I felt like doing it because it reminds me of Regina Brett’s  beautiful statement. I am at the most trying time of my life at present, with my mom being sick, but I try to constantly remind myself of Regina’s profound statements. The most appropriate one for this post being, “No Matter How You Feel, Get Up, Dress Up, and Show Up for Life”.

P.S. Please excuse my retard look with Georgia above. We were doing a quick smooch for the camera. Haha.

P.P.S. Happy Halloween! I’ll do Halloween posts (perhaps I’ll do one or two) in the next few days.

Yup, this is another Georgia update.

It’s funny how I said just yesterday that Georgia needs a haircut. That’s one thing off our list already, we went to the groomers today. It didn’t take too long for this particular visit because she just needed minor trimming plus the works. Her hair was starting to cover her eyes and when I call her, she has to sort of raise her head to look at me. She came out looking pretty  (she’s fabulous to begin with), smelling like flowers and her nails were neatly trimmed as well.

We have been going to the groomers for a long time now and I just found out today that they can also brush your pet’s teeth for you during the grooming. Too bad I wasn’t able to bring Georgia’s toothbrush (She has a blue one) and toothpaste (Poultry flavored. Awesssoome!) along.

I also had to get her some more food (She loves her biscuits lately. Hurrah!), vitamins, dental bones (As presents for when we get home. She loves treats.) and some veggie dent. When we were almost out the door, they asked us if I wanted to enter Georgia in the upcoming Halloween Fashion Show for Pets and their Owners. It sounds like a lot of fun but I’m not sure if Georgia’s up for it in a sense, perhaps another time. Georgia is asleep right now, she’s worn out.

That’s it for now. See you guys later.

It’s up! I’m glad I was able to meet Aimee (in a sense) and she was really nice – plus, she gave me the freedom to go crazy and do a post for her blog. Haha.

The pictures (lé visuals) I prepared for my post at her blog – I am posting them below as well for those who wish to do a quick inspection. For the full post (I assure you, I made it short and sweet), do check it out (and Aimee’s blog as well) here.

Hohum.

How’s everyone? I just got back last Sunday, I was away on a trip over the weekend (i.e. interior design- related). I was supposed to do a scheduled post that I had planned to publish (here in my design journal) while I was away but amidst my crazy packing session, the scary weather post the storm and the sudden unpredictable internet connection, I wasn’t able to do so.

When I did came back, I was settling in (I still have a pending to-do list and a couple of emails to work on. Eep.) and feeling a bit weird (from the warm weather there/the trip itself/our itinerary/all of the above – I’m not sure), I just hope I don’t get sick at all. Don’t worry, I will get back to doing regular posts hopefully in the next few days. Stay tuned for posts with a gazillion pictures about my trip (Yup, I was lugging my camera with me). Yey, I’m excited! Haha

Have a great week everyone!

P.S. It’s back to an overwhelming reality for me but it’s alright. Onwards with the battle! (Please do pray for my mom! Thanks.)

P.P.S. Yup, I’m just lurking…for now.

It has been a good few days since Steve Jobs’ death and I wanted to pay  my respects to him and his family. He was a brilliant person who utilized that brilliance to make an impact in the world. A man definitely ahead of his time. Cheers to you, Mr. Jobs!

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be dramatic, but it is quite true.”

- Steve Jobs

(Credits – All Beautiful Pictures from the Internet)

Since I was a little kid, I had always loved chocolate. Before my affinity for ice cream, cupcakes and dumplings – chocolate was always at the forefront. When you break off a piece of the chocolate block, and as you take a bite, all that lusciousness and that richness, that sweet chocolatey goodness creates a lovely symphony in your mouth and your taste buds would mutter a thank you. Plus it makes you happy too (haha).

Over the course of my existence (how profound! haha.), I have tasted quite a number of varieties (I’m not saying I’m an expert) and I am in love with all of them. I usually prefer the milk chocolate ones, the ones with almonds at times, with honeycomb, with rice crispies, with toffee, with mint in them or with caramel or the biscuit ones – Ok, I love almost all of them (haha).

They say that chocolate has chemical properties that may be responsible for those hard-to-place feelings of contentment and happiness. When feeling a bit blue, do have a bite or two but do so in moderation. Lately, I’ve been indulging myself with some dark chocolate and I suggest you do too. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and is good for your heart as well.

Two things to remember about chocolate – 1. If craving for some , do try eating dark chocolate instead, 2. Keep them away from your pets since chocolate is harmful to them and considered poisonous.

What are your chocolate favorites? ♥

P.S. I had a mellow weekend with the family and I am thankful. I also ate a lot. Haha. On a side note, if you have some time on your hands and would like to know some fun things about chocolate, do click here.

P.P.S. Visiting Guylian, this was a very amazing day. I had fun taking pictures as well.

Hey Mister. Happy Birthday.

“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest.”

-Larry Lorenzoni

P.S. Georgia is gorgeous.

“Prayer is communication with the Divine. It can be whispered or chanted or written or expressed in the work you do. However it is expressed, it is never in vain.”

- Donna Wilk Cardillo

“Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.”

- Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, 1862

“For every mountain there is a miracle”

– Robert H. Schuller

P.S. I continue on praying that we win our battle, please help us with your own prayers. Thank you.

Do you enjoy sitting down on chairs? Upholstered ones? Wooden ones? (Why do I ask the weirdest/not at all profound questions?)

Myself? It might seem weird but I always go back to sitting in this manner (kindly refer to visual below) at times. It’s not that we don’t have chairs in our house (how witty! haha), but strangely enough this is quite a comfy way of doing some sitting.

When I eat a sandwich (nutella on toast!), I sometimes crouched down to this. Or when I need to think over certain things (making to-do lists in my head), I do this. When I go sightseeing and we do a quick stop, I do this (that’s the story behind the picture below). Hmmm, funny why I decided to do a post on just this.

But hey, some people do posts on paper clips. I guess I belong in the bunch

“You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair”

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”

- Chinese Proverbs

(Beautiful Print Credits: Juri Romanov)

Definitely a cool way to say happy birthday – do it in french (haha)

Now this part (below) will make me teary. (haha)

This surprise post is in honor of my sister, Ate Tatie, as she celebrates her birthday today. I know I have said this often (and I will be saying it a great deal more than often too), but it has been a pleasure and a great honor to be your friend and your sister. I don’t know what I did  to be given such an amazing gift but I am forever thankful to have such amazing sisters (Yup, I’m talking about all three of you. *slurpy kisses* Haha.) and during days such as these, your birthday, I am greatly reminded of how amazing it has been to have known you all these years.

I wish for a lot of things for you – that may you achieve all your dreams (I know you will!), may you touch more lives, may you be given more blessings (all the best that life has to offer), a Siberian tiger (haha, I want one too!), blue roses – a lot of things.

To more memories we will be making, to more food we will stuff our tummies with, to more words (per millisecond) we utter in our conversations, to more adventures, to more years of being sisters. I am proud of you and I love you, my poppet ♥

Cheers mate!

P.S. Since she has a great fondness for Spanish -  “Que cumple muchos años mas!”. This translates to, may you have many more birthdays! (Yup, this post is starting to resemble language lessons. Haha.)

P.P.S. Yes, I love presents very much and I love opening presents…even those that aren’t mine and even when it isn’t my birthday. (Haha)

Thanks for being a sport, dude

Taking pictures of the little one is one of my favorite things to do – I will never get tired of it and I believe Georgia has already gotten used to her mama’s “fondness” for this. (Thank you for being a good sport, Georgy! *kiss*)

The little one is almost turning three (they grow up so fast *tear*). At present, we are almost done with all her annual shots (the last one will be two weeks from now) and she’s just busy living her life (exploring, sniffing, trying to lick random stuff, barking at repairmen who come to the house, naps, etc.)

When I took this shot of her, I had this brilliant idea of us trying out the “getting in touch with nature” option since I figured that I want to be able to let Georgia experience a whole lot of things (thus the grass and the surroundings you see in the picture) but it didn’t turn out to be such a good idea after all. I got a great deal of rashes on my arm and it wasn’t pleasant. So it’ll have to be no to nature for now – at least for mama, Georgia was fine and having the time of her life with nature. (Traitor. Haha. I kid.)

Georgia has given me so much (as a person and basically my life in general) – so much laughter, so much joy, just so much. When you are out battling in the world, it’s good to know that when you do get out of the car at the end of the day, this tiny being with her cute little paws wags her tail for you and gives you a kiss.  *greatest feeling/experience in the world*

Cheers to my bestest friend. I love you, sweets ♥

P.S. Her whiskers/hair was quite wet because we had a couple sips of water prior to mommy’s nature idea. Haha

The last time I got full bangs like this was when I was really small (probably around like six years old) so it’s definitely something new. Yes mister, it is.

It might seem silly or mundane to some, (Come on, Pau. Just bangs, dude. Just bangs.) but this new “blanket for my forehead” definitely empowers me in a sense. It’s not just the fluff of hair per se, it’s the thought behind it – the thought of you embracing something new, a change and finding that even something as simple as getting bangs can turn things around (may it be just your day or your week).

I definitely look more  and more like Georgia every single day. Haha.

It’s not a bad thing actually – Georgia is gorgeous ♥

What do you think? (I think it turned out alright.)

P.S. Now, let me see if they have essay-making powers too. Hahaha.

Just two things for this post:

1. Here are a couple more pictures (above) from the shoot I did.  I hope you like them. Georgia looks so cute ♥  (Quick add – Wow, it’s April already!)

2. I am contemplating on a lot of things as of late and I can relate greatly to the following -

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places — and there are so many — where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

- Howard Zinn

“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”

- Alice in Wonderland

Georgia and Mummy time ♥

Bohemian (Definition)

1. a native or inhabitant of Bohemia
- Nope, this doesn’t apply to me.

2. a person who has informal or unconventional social habits, esp. an artist or writer.
– Nope, this doesn’t apply to me or perhaps it does a little. So I guess I fit in this definition in a certain sense.

I have always been fascinated by gypsies and the bohemian culture. I mean I will never ever lose that fascination – I remember wearing loose curls in college (on certain days), being into woven flipflops with intricate beading, being into flowy skirts and big printed totes and donning a great deal of woven bangles. People might view me (and know me) as starchy/prim in manner . I am for the most part, I follow rules and I take tasks seriously (Yup, totally not a free spirit there. Haha.)

I love the character in all things bohemian and the carefree-ness it represents and though I might not dress the way I used to (I haven’t worn flipflops or curls or skirts) but I still have the penchant for it and there are still days when I go for it. I may dress up seriously now as a professional but I still inject bits of this fondness – will never get tired of loosy tunics, printed/flower polos, beanies, maxis and gypsy dresses.

It kind of reminds me of interior design as well. It is a discipline that focuses on the arts so it can also lean on the unconventional, the artsy-fartsy and being just out there but at the same time it is also starchy in the sense that it is also a science, you have the accuracy to observe when making technical drawings, in doing measurements, etc.

Paula = Interior Design (Haha.)

On a different (but still cheery) note, yesterday was a very good day. It was a day for amazing blessings in our family (I got an amazing blessing and so did Ate Tatie). I will talk about it once things are already more concrete and definite but for now (All your prayers will be much appreciated), I am over the moon and am very grateful to God.

The picture above is one of the outtakes for a self-portrait shoot I did a day (or two) ago. I love it very much because it was fun and Georgia is in it. My little sweetheart was giving me a big kiss. Haha. So incredibly adorable! ♥

I hope you like it and I will be posting the rest over the weekend (Time goes by so fast lately. It’s almost the weekend and its already April tomorrow too! Shocker. Haha.)

Note: Wow, how did this post get so lengthy? Am I that chatty? *blush* (Haha.)

P.S. My good friend, Vane, had her birthday a few days ago and she said that it was happy/crappy. A big shout out to her (and I hope this makes her smile) I won’t post her childhood picture here because she might (hurt)me. Haha. Advanced Happy Birthday to Nikki as well

P.P.S. If you are new to this design journal, some shameless plugging here, here and here. (Haha.)

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”

- Bob Moawad

” Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.”

- Stacey Charter

It has been a few days now since a massive earthquake (said to be the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded in its history, according to Experts) shook Japan. The tsunami that followed thereafter and the recent situation with Fukushima’s nuclear power plant caused further devastation. It greatly saddens me when disasters such as these happen because it leaves great grief in its wake – Japan casualties’ death toll is expected to exceed ten thousand, thousands are still missing, and a lot of people are left without access to food, shelter, water and clothes.

I don’t want this post to be a sad one but I just want people to be aware that we should try to help out and show these people that we care and we are willing to offer our assistance. It makes me happy to know that Japan remains strong and being the advanced country that they are, they’ll be able to get up and stand once again. An update I read yesterday shows just that and its great. We should all learn from it – may we be victims of the calamities or not.

There are a lot of organizations out there who are simply amazing and are doing something to help out – they are asking for donations and help. I know that some of you may already be aware of such organizations and some may have even donated already (kudos to you!) but to give you an idea still of some of these organizations, you may refer to this article and this one as well for other simple ways to show your support. Feel free to constantly update on other organizations that are accepting donations at present.

Let us help Japan out and may this  also remind us to not take anything for granted – may it be our own lives, our loved ones or even the simplest things such as being able to enjoy some hot soup. or being able to sleep in our own beds at night.  Please offer your prayers as well – this will go a very long way.

Oh my cupcake. It’s already February.

Yes, I keep on saying that time flies by so fast. But it does. At this rate, I could just simply blink and it’d be March already (Such a little joker, Pau. Haha.) But it’s not entirely impossible though. I mean this week (for me) went by really fast – sleep deprived at some parts and feeling giddy every time I cross something off in my to-do list.

I remember watching the Circus when I was really small and though most of it is fuzzy now, one thing that will remain (permanently) is my love for it. I was able to watch it again just recently (albeit a different group and act this time of course) and this time as a young adult (I still refuse to consider myself as a full-fledged adult. The magic of being a kid is something I wouldn’t discard completely). I brought my camera along and had the time of my life enjoying the circus, having fun with my family and clicking away at the same time. Here are a couple of pictures (I love the way they turned out actually. Such pretty colors!)

On a different note, I made another mood board for today. I want to call it a design board for now. Decided to make one because I wanted to start the week on a fun note and one way (at least on my end) to be able to do that is to play around with color. You can have fun with color and incorporate it in your spaces through fun pieces (it doesn’t necessarily have to be of a more drastic incorporation – it could just be in the form of a bold red armchair or perhaps a couple of throw pillows in plum). Refer to the design board below for some ideas/inspiration (incorporate pieces that have character).

Finally, let me just say that I wouldn’t end this entry without mentioning my title post or at least cupcakes (haha). For those who have been reading this journal since the beginning, you would know by now that I love cupcakes (sometimes I even crave for particular kinds!). The most recent cupcakes I tried and am loving immensely are chocolate ones with cream frosting and chocolate powder. They are simply heavenly – quite moist and the frosting is just perfect (for someone who isn’t into icing and such as much, that’s saying a lot). I even decided to post with one of the revered cupcakes below (and with a big smile to go with it, if I may add). I had three of these lovelies the very next day and the day after that. Haha.  Yummmm!

All of the above got me wondering, have you been to the Circus too? Do you love it? How about certain scrumptious cupcakes you love? Do let me know. I’d love to hear about your own musings regarding the said stuff. Have a good week ahead everybody!

P.S. The Sea Green Journal is already six months old! Yey! Thank you so much for visiting, commenting and dropping by. It’s been fun and I look forward to the upcoming months.

Before I begin talking more about certain things for this post, I want to share something really important. My dad hasn’t been feeling well (he doesn’t show it) and this greatly concerns me (it makes me teary actually ) – I hope that it’s nothing serious. I would really appreciate it if you can include him in your prayers. Thank you very much! *Hug*

Faith is indeed an amazing thing – it makes us go beyond what is mundane, it makes us go on believing. I have faith that my dad will be alright. I am juggling things at the moment and I am working on something for my future (it’s something big actually), I have no control over how it will turn out but I do have faith that it will be alright.

This thing called faith presents itself to anyone and everyone (whatever age, size, race), at any given time (tomorrow or even today) and in different forms (may it be while your on your way to lunch or while you are munching on your cereal). It is (also) indeed overwhelming (in a very good way) when I see it in other people or when I experience it with other people.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Sinulog here in Cebu. For those who aren’t familiar with this event, it is a yearly mardi gras (usually the second sunday of January) in Cebu (it is one of the grandest festivals in the Philippines) greatly celebrated to honor Señor Sto. Niño, the child Jesus. People from all over the Philippines and a great deal of tourists make it a point to come here for this celebration (flights and accommodations are fully booked by december more or less). The streets are usually packed and people forego using their cars and basically just walk on the streets – dancing to the beat, watching the floats and various participants in brightly colored costumes dancing in the parade or simply enjoying some munchies being sold by vendors lined up on the street. I’ll stop explaining for now and show you some pictures instead.

If you think this is amazing (because it really is!), I just want you to know that this isn’t even the main Sinulog event yet. People go to mass as early as 4;30 in the morning for nine days leading up to the Sinulog proper.

Face Painting

We at PIID Cebu (the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – Cebu) are starting to make it a yearly thing to hold a face painting booth during Sinulog as a fundraiser. I am still getting used to painting stuff on people (especially on their faces! haha) but it is indeed fun and it doesn’t hurt to get a hug from cute little kiddies who get their faces painted with pandas.

Here I am! (By the way, the butterfly Polaris’ painted above was super pretty.)

Sinulog Participants

More than 20 contingents (and their participants) from all over the Philippines (Lanao del Sur, Cagayan de Oro, etc.)  join in this yearly celebration of devotion – rain or shine (it was raining a great deal this year and everyone got soaked), they continue on dancing and we continue on cheering for them and joining in. (Little trivia – I’ve been going to this since I was a kid.)

With regards to the third and fourth picture in this set, the Cebu Contingent (being the host) was paying tribute to how the Chinese have greatly influenced our culture (when they came to live here many years ago, prior to the colonization of countries such as Spain and the United States). The fireworks was amazing this year!

In general, I took a gazillion (gazillion pictures) during the Sinulog but limited the pictures to be displayed in this post. I look forward to many more Sinulog celebrations to come (this celebration never fails to overwhelm me)! Pit Señor!

Have faith everyone – may it be in the smallest things and more importantly in yourself (and all your endeavours – I have faith in mine, more specifically the academic one at present. Please pray for me on this as well. Thanks!).

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” – Gail Devers

P.S. On a side note (since I was craving the night before and it was really late already), I made some mashed potatoes earlier today – I mashed away because I usually like this done smooth and a bit creamy. I added a couple of herbs, a hint of garlic and some beef broth in mine. Yummmm! I love black pepper too! I sprinkle in on most of the stuff I eat. Haha.

P.P.S. Here are a couple of links. If I have, by some way, made you more curious about Sinulog, you may get more information about it here. If you wish to experience Sinulog with us, do drop by! The website above contains details on how to go about it. If you wish to check out my very first post for this year, click here. If you wish to know about the color of the year for 2011, click here.

” The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.”

- Robert Cushing

” There is no use trying, said Alice. One can’t believe impossible things. I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

- Lewis Carroll

Note to self –

1. Jump in.

2. Six impossible things before breakfast.

Hello Everyone!

November has been good to me so far (and for that I am very grateful). I haven’t updated as much but I will post more articles soon. The main stuff that have happened so far/things that are occupying my time – 1. I attended a design workshop the other day and it was so much fun! I love anything design-related and attending workshops, 2. I have also been eating a lot of food during this vacation/trip (but this is a normal occurence for me I think. haha), 3. I have been checking out a lot of places and am traveling (Yey! Spending time with Ate Tatie as well. Double yey! haha). By the way,  I took pictures of the stuff I have been eating (I’ll slowly post them) and I try to squeeze in as much work (that are due more or less when I get back to the Philippines) as I can in between. I miss Georgia a great deal (I hugged a beautiful golden retriever the other day – because I have Georgia withdrawal and I do love dogs as well).

Yey! The Sea Green Journal is already three months old!

I have a lot of work to do and I hope I can indeed strike a good balance. Another good news is that The Sea Green Journal is already three months old! Yey! I am having so much fun with this design journal and I hope you are too. Thank you for dropping by and I do hope you come visit often!

Have a good November everyone!

P.S. I took a gazillion pictures and I have a lot that I need to post (pending). Hopefully I’ll be able to organize and process them and gradually post everything. Just a few bits for this month (in the mean time). Do check out the “snippets” below.

I love dumplings! Whenever I eat at a cafe or a restaurant, I try out their dumplings (if they offer some in their menu of course). These big and juicy ones from Ariake was just so-so. But they dumplings nevertheless. Thus, I love them still! (haha)

Here I am. This portrait was taken near the Marina area.

How did Halloween start exactly? This once a year festivity which involves dressing up (as ghouls, witches, etc.), eating toffee apples, going trick-or-treating is definitely interesting and a bit scary if I may say so (haha).

In the Philippines, Halloween is not widely celebrated. The main focus there is to go to cemeteries and pay our departed loved ones a visit. In the recent years however, halloween costume parties there are growing in numbers.

In whatever way we celebrate it, we do have one thing in common – the scary aspect (horror documentaries and all things bloody). This year’s Halloween for me is different but fun as well

History (A quick Background Overview; an excerpt from Ken C. Erickson and Patricia Sunderland’s Article)

Halloween is a very popular annual celebration infused with it’s own set of recognizable symbols, stories and rituals. In 731 A.D., November 1 was declared All Saints’ Day (All Hallows Day). October 31 thus became All Hallows Eve, in time shortened to “Halloween.” Even with the encouragement of activities such as masquerading pageants of saints and the further, complicating step of adding Nov. 2 as All Souls Day to the church calendar after the year 1000, some “non-Christian” elements survive in Halloween.

The quintessential symbols of Halloween fall into three major categories. Symbols of death include graveyards, ghosts, skeletons, haunted houses. Symbols of evil and misfortune are witches, goblins, black cats. Symbols of harvest are pumpkins, scarecrows, corn shocks and candy corn.

The first two categories tap deep, irresolvable, pan-human dilemmas. Ways of dealing with and symbolizing death and evil are represented in some of the earliest archaeological remains of human ritual activity. One traditional means of facing the reality of death is to view it as a transition and to continue a relationship with the dead.

Scary Pictures (Please be warned that these set of pictures are bloody and might make you squeamish, they make my insides flinch too! They were pretty scary! These were taken during a recent event to gather zombies and the like for Michael Jackson’s Thriller commemoration.)

Yup, I look like a retard but it’s all good. (Haha )

Trick or treating and Cupcakes (I didn’t participate in the trick or treat part per se. Ate Tatie and I were part of the “control group” for the kiddies. Yup, we are a couple of muscular girls. Haha. The cupcake contest was super fun as well – I love cupcakes. Ate Tatie and my cupcake won as well! It was sheer genius – the cupcake! )

This is Imee’s cupcake.

The entries.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Have fun and be safe

P.S. Here I am! By the way, I didn’t eat some of the loot (candies) since I had a sore throat. But that is definitely not a reason to not put a smile on one’s face.

P.P.S. Good luck, Mr. Wonderful! You’ll do great

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

(Photo Credit – Paula Cañete)

Hello Everyone!

I am very happy to be able to write a post once again – and this time from another location too! Yey! I have some catching up to do (blog-wise). I got here (new location) last sunday and things have been moving in a fast pace. I had some settling in to do as well (catching up on sleep because jet lag wore me out in a sense). More importantly, I miss Georgia a great, great deal

Although I have things to attend to here (serious stuff), I am also here to have fun so I have to come up with a way to concoct a good balance which will allow me to be able to see the sights and at the same time get some work done as well.

One of the things I love (I have a lot!) is going places and being able to travel. I hope that I’ll be able to travel the world (it’s a big big world out there) in the future. I love learning new things and learning about different cultures and different ways of life. Traveling allows you to see and experience more of what life has to offer. Being able to soak in a particular place’s design and art is something I hope to be able to do throughout my entire existence. I love going to museums, visiting art galleries, stuffing myself with all sorts of cuisine (except the really really exotic ones though), visiting furniture stores – I can go on and on

I’ll post more pictures (I have a lot and I’ll be taking more) really soon. In the mean time, have fun looking over the ones I posted below.

Can anyone guess where I am? On a side note, the cupcakes above look absolutely scrumptious! I am also happy (in a sense) because I am able to write posts once again. Till next time.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Danii!

Hi Everyone!

By the time you read this, I’ll most probably be in the plane already. I’ll be out of the country for awhile and I am excited, panicky (because I have a lot of stuff to work on still) and a bit heartbroken (because I won’t be able to bring Georgia along – quite risky to bring one so tiny )

I don’t know yet if I can write as often while I am traveling but I will certainly try. For the mean time, this will be the only post you’ll see here (for now).

Have a good weekend everyone!

P.S. I love you, Georgia! You’ll certainly make Mummy cry a GREAT deal. I’ll miss you, sweets

This is a rather late hello October post but better late than never. (I am not condoning tardiness but rather encouraging the opposite.) How is your October so far?

“A child looking at ruins grows younger
but cold
and wants to wake to a new name
I have been younger in October
than in all the months of spring
walnut and may leaves the color
of shoulders at the end of summer
a month that has been to the mountain
and become light there
the long grass lies pointing uphill
even in death for a reason
that none of us knows
and the wren laughs in the early shade now
come again shining glance in your good time
naked air late morning
my love is for lightness
of touch foot feather
the day is yet one more yellow leaf
and without turning I kiss the light
by an old well on the last of the month
gathering wild rose hips
in the sun.”
-   W. S. Merwin, The Love of October

P.S. I will be out of the country for awhile (a few weeks), will leave in a few days and I am in a whirlwind situation right now – juggling things. But it’s all good – I just try to inject lots of laughter (and snack portions) in between, it works By the way, I want to wish a very dear friend a happy birthday tomorrow. (Happy Birthday, Ibiang!)

P.P.S. We can do this, Mr. Wonderful! Go team!

I just thought that this would be a good way to start the week – focusing on what is important, being strong and simply persevering. Have a good sunday, everyone!

P.S. I took the pictures above over a month ago. They were taken during two different occasions – the first one, I was wearing a plaid polo rolled up, cuffed jeans, my sanuks and a fisherman’s cap; the second one (I really love the saying so I took a picture so that I won’t forget it), I was wearing a dress, a cardigan and ballet flats. Yup, two different occasions.

P.P.S. I’m a bit down but it’s ok. Tomorrow might be better

There is this one thing that I wanted to get done for Georgia for the longest time – I initially wanted it done during her first birthday. I am very thankful that the other day we were able to get it done finally and at the same time experience it together

What am I talking about? Georgia was finally blessed during the annual blessing of pets! It was her very first and it saddens me however that we don’t have a picture together or a picture of her during the blessing. *sad face* I brought my camera with me but I was juggling a lot of stuff (literally) all at once and I was cuddling the little one as well. (If anyone has a picture, please do send it to me and I’ll get you a cupcake for your trouble. Thanks!)

We were running late but we were able to get there before the blessing. It was heaven – there were lots of other dogs, of all shapes and sizes! If by any chance you don’t know, I love animals and pets. There was an adult shih tzu sleeping on the pew (super cute! haha.) and an overweight golden retriever had a heat stroke. (poor doggie *sad face*) There were little puppies playing and a couple of chihuahuas as well. Another cute moment was during the “huddle part” of the owners and their pets – some doggies were growling at each other and some had to make sure that they had a tight grip on their pets (and the leash) or else it would have been a highly exciting scene (haha).

I was very happy that Georgia was able to experience it – as her mummy, it is my responsibility to make sure that her spiritual guidance is not neglected (I sound so serious).

I also got Georgia groomed and brought her a present – a hearty roll (bacon flavored). What do you think of her new haircut? I had it cut shorter since the weather has been really warm lately and I didn’t want to make it difficult for the little pumpkin. Adorable (referring to either Georgia and her new haircut and also both), yes?

P.S. The Sea Green Journal just turned two months old! Yey! Thanks a lot for dropping by and we will continue on having fun (and thinking about cupcakes, dumplings and such). Cheers!

“It takes a long time to grow young.” – Pablo Picasso

Happy Birthday, Mr. Wonderful!

I love you.

P.S. “Happy Birthday, Daddy!” – Love, Georgia

Done with Monday, the rest of the week to go (haha). I actually don’t want this week (and the week after) to end since I need time to work on this very very important “project” I have been fussing over lately.

I slept really late yesterday but it was worth it (big smile) and today went by really fast as well. I went to the doctor (I’m not sick or anything) and had a couple of errands which will carry on further tomorrow. I need to give Georgia a bath for this week and take her to the vet as well this week.

This post sounds like a to-do list (haha) – that wasn’t my intention at all. Here are the rest of the photographs from the self-portrait set I mentioned in yesterday’s post. This was taken over a year ago – please excuse the haggard mode. I was swamped at that time (when the photographs were taken) and I was longing for ample sleep but I take tasks seriously and find pleasure in doing old school hard work.

Hello Everyone!

Another new week ahead and things have been sort of complex. I am also working on something very very important and I do hope it goes well (please pray for me).

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

- Harriet Tubman

On a lighter note, here are some beautiful interiors I am in love with today.

Sundays are about lazing about and being easy breezy (haha).

May the quote (above) inspire all of you as well and have a great week ahead!

P.S. I was sifting over my files (and photographs) and I found a particular self-portrait set I did over a year ago. Do check out one of the photographs below. I’ll be posting the rest tomorrow.

This was taken during a very stressful week (sleep deprived and overworked body parts) and it shows (haha). Please excuse the haggard mode.

P.P.S. To those who have just stumbled upon this blog – Welcome to The Sea Green Journal!  Do check out my post about Philconstruct Visayas 2010 here and stay awhile too (haha). Thanks!

Cool discovery today – a cabinetry store which I really liked and it “made my mind itch“ (i.e. by playing around with this statement - “made my hands itch” ). It made me want to design an interior that would incorporate the stuff the said store was selling.

I also got Georgia a present in the form of a bag of uncolored rawhide chewies which appealed to me and sounded safe. I saw a jar of dog biscuits in different colors and flavors (examples included watermelon and strawberry flavors) – I wanted to get them as well because they seemed delicious and cute to me but I decided to forego them for now and do research before buying them (its Georgia we are talking about after all).

Here are a few pictures. Good times (and meal). Haha. Enjoy!

P.S. Hello Georgy (By the way, I gave her a bath late this afternoon.)

Such a sweetheart!

P.P.S. And oh. Here I am.

My family and I went to mass really early this morning. I was fascinated by the “men at arms” garb (i.e. I wanted to take pictures of said garb) and a kind gentleman was quite a good sport about it (Thank you, Sir).

I would say I had a very good weekend (and I am very grateful) – it consisted of laughter, long conversations, loved ones and lots of food.

Have a great sunday everyone!

P.S. Happy Birthday Nonah! We love you

(A quick shout out and hug to Unknownmami as well – I just read about her week. Do visit her blog, drop a line and let’s help give her strength.)

P.P.S. For those of you who might like to check out the post about Philconstruct Visayas 2010 (and the gazillion pictures), please go here. Thanks!

The weekend is almost over and we have a new week ahead of us. The last few days were great and I was quite busy so I was not able to post this sooner. Here is part two of The Island Travelogue.

Snippets on some of the pictures. Enjoy!

The weather was incredibly hot but the water was simply gorgeous.

This trip made me crave for mango pancakes. I even had some for dinner a few hours ago. (Haha)

I couldn’t resist putting more museum pictures in this post. I love museums!

This was a long walk (but super fun) and the sun was definitely shining away – we had cold mango shakes at a cafe nearby after this.

A beautiful holy water font.

I love old church floor tiles and their designs.

I remembered attending mass at this church during my first trip to Bantayan (I was still ten). We fell asleep during mass because we were worn out from swimming the whole day (haha). Great memories and a beautiful church, I had to take a picture. By the way, this is the San Pedro y San Pablo Church – it considered to be the oldest church in Bantayan.

I love lighting candles (We bought a handful from each vendor at the church).

Definitely Gorgeous (Dreamy Sigh)

Yup, a couple of shots featuring the author – the sea breeze was amazing.

This rounds up The Island Travelogue (I hope I didn’t overwhelm you with the gazillion pictures in this post and the one before this). I also hope that you had fun looking over this post and going over the trip with me. Bantayan is definitely gorgeous and I highly encourage you to check it out.

On a side note, my Mum’s birthday was great – she is a year older (I don’t like it when my parents get older every year – I love you Mum and Dad!)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. Pau Updates – 1. Our Exhibit for Philconstruct is next week (I’m very excited)! I love exhibits and doing mock-ups. I’ll post details about it soon (do drop by the exhibit if you can). To those who can’t (sad face) – don’t worry, I’ll write about it next week.

2. I woke up feeling sick this morning and it wasn’t pleasant. I hope I’ll better soon because it’s another busy week ahead.

P.P.S. Georgia Updates – 1. I was supposed to bring Georgia to the vet place yesterday for her monthly shot/s but I had to go a meeting and I didn’t want to wear her out by making the trip longer. I’ll do the vet visit in a few days and get her checked as well.

2. During Mum’s birthday, I placed Georgia near Shaki’s tummy so that she can get acquainted with the little one inside – Georgia placed her paw on Shaki’s tummy (as though touching/stroking it) and she gave it a lick/kiss (as though she was saying hello/showing affection to the little one inside). Awwww! Georgia, you are one sweet little girl and Mummy loves you very much.

It’s already Thursday. How was your day?

Like what I mentioned yesterday, I will show some of my pictures from the long weekend trip in today’s post (I decided to divide them into two parts since I have a lot of pictures to share – taking note that I even narrowed them down already).

Off to Bantayan I went. (Abrupt sentence construction, Pau.)

A few specifics in case someone needs the information (and for those who aren’t from the Philippines). Bantayan is one of the municipalities in the province of Cebu, Philippines. Located in the Northern Tip of Cebu, it is well-known for its crystal clear waters and its fine white sandy beaches.

There are several methods of getting there (People mostly go by land and take a ferry or a roro once they reach Hagnaya). Transportation options include buses, rented vans and your very own private vehicle. We basically rode our own car and hopped on the ferry going to the island (you can bring your car with you on the ferry, with additional fees of course).

Planning things such as accommodations and other arrangements way ahead of time (may it be your food options, itinerary, etc) – highly recommended especially during the busy months and events (i.e. April and May, Holy Week). A mixture of cuisines are available on the island – there are quaint restaurants (both in the resort you are staying at and a couple scattered around) and the market (small stores, the essentials, small bakeries, etc). Seafood lovers are in for a treat (the seafood on the plate before you, in most cases, were caught just minutes before you ordered – definitely fresh).

Simply Gorgeous!

The weather is definitely hot there (I am quite sensitive to hot weather). Lots of sunscreen and water – these are your best friends. In spite of the scorching heat, Bantayan is absolutely divine. It is one of my favorite places in the Cebu Province.

Gazillion pictures starts here (haha). I will post snippets on some of them as well. Have fun!

A gazillion sea urchins – freshly caught (A delicacy – I have no plans of trying it though. They did say it tastes great.)

Mango Pancakes with Honey for Breakfast

Tapasilog (We had breakfast brought to our room.)

Yup, I wear sweaterish tops to the beach – I’m cool like that. (Haha)

The Old Kota Fort – I was fascinated with this and its composition (Trivia – I love museums and historic sites). It was constructed in the 1790′s in order to protect young women and children from being abducted by the Moro Pirates and sold for slavery. In terms of architecture, the structure was made from coral stone, red sugar, egg white (common for old structures), lime and sand. It is almost a perfect square.

Little eerie tidbit – There were thirty-four Japanese soldiers executed inside the old structure. It was also used as a cemetery from the 1890′s to the 1950′s.

Huge Bags containing chips for sale at the market (definitely brings back childhood memories).

I always take pictures of cupcakes (it’s basically a given for me).

I will post the rest of the pictures tomorrow hopefully. Please stay tuned to part two of The Island Travelogue.

P.S. It’s Mum’s birthday tomorrow. Yey!

P.P.S. Please follow The Sea Green Journal by clicking on the button below. Thanks!

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

Hello September!

Time is beyond words (It flies by so fast – such a cliché but it’s true!). I will surely miss August (It’s my favorite month, or one of my favorite months) but we must move on forward and off we go! (I’m not quite so sure about the frequency of exclamation points in this post but perhaps it’s because I am quite enthusiastic lately or perhaps it’s because I had an ample amount of sugar. Perhaps it’s because I had a very good long weekend. *smiles*)

I would like to apologize for being gone for awhile and not leaving a note while I was. But I would like you to know that – 1. My long weekend was quite good (I hope yours was too), 2. I was away, 3. I’ll feature a gazillion pictures about it on my next post (or perhaps in my next two posts).

Here is a “tidbit” (i.e. Two pictures – Yup, a gazillion pictures to overwhelm you soon).

Such a big grin, little girl.

P.S. Onward to September. By the way, The Sea Green Journal (and moi blogging) will turn one month old in a few days. Yey!

P.P.S. My Lolo turned 81 years old today. Coolio! (Haha. I love that word.)

(Photo Credits – First Photo from Christina Heaston, Second and Third Photos by Paula Cañete)

Hopefully what transpired (and simply the fact that we are Filipinos and Human Beings) will remind us to focus on what is still important.

Dear Philippines, I believe in you still.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

- Confucious -

To all the casualties of the unfortunate incident and to  all your families and loved ones, my only hope was for it to have ended peacefully. I am very sorry for what you have gone through. Now, I pray for your recovery, for hope and for strength to be able to move forward after the devastation.

(Design Credit – Old Manila Series)

One, Two, Three ♥

Definitely the best day ever! (big smile)

Thank you very much everyone for remembering and for showing all your love – all the things you did are very very heartwarming. Thank you to my family, Mr. Wonderful and the bestest friends anyone  could ever ask for.

I’ll write a more detailed post about this soon. For now, I bid you goodnight. Goodnight August 20th – You were amazing and I look forward to next year. I’m pooped (but very very very happy).

The countdown has come to an end. Yup, tomorrow is the best day ever (big smile).

Hello Best Day Ever

These beautiful pictures (specially chosen) are for – 1. All of you, 2. My Birthday Acclamation.  I wanted this post to be filled with festive and beautiful pictures – lots of colors and elements that reflect my personality. I would love a “Princess Party” for all my birthday parties (slash) forever. (Forgive me, I am a girly girl.)

I envisioned something like the pictures in this post but different in a sense because I’ll be conceptualizing the design and doing pieces to make it my very own.

This day is very important to me and the promise this one (the next one and the one after that) holds is amazing. They are definitely right when they say that when you turn another year older, you start reflecting on things and reflecting about life. I am doing that by certain bits, I am thinking in the sense of the present (just preliminaries, full-on mode hopefully during the day itself) and the future (being a year older).

I am a bit tired and I don’t feel as eloquent right about now but I am contemplating in a sense. I love making lists but I don’t like the limit aspect part of certain kinds. Let me expound a bit – I love making lists and writing stuff I have to do or work on but I can’t make lists that have limits. “Limits” in the context of numbers, i.e. “Your Top 5 Favorite Dishes,”  “_ Things You Should Do On Your _ Birthday”, etc.

When it comes to that, I become sort of indecisive (but it is selective, don’t worry). For example – if someone asks me what my Top 5 Favorite Dishes are, I’ll certainly say “pass” because I love food, there are a lot of food dishes I love and I don’t want to hurt a certain dish’s feelings if it doesn’t get included in the list (haha). Thus, I can’t make a list of things I would do for this birthday (I do know I am simply rambling on – please let the birthday girl be).

A few things are for certain however (even though “limited lists” aren’t), I always get a birthday cake and I get to blow the candles before the night ends.

I also get presents. I love, love, love presents (falsetto voice).

Quick Trivia – 1. That is why I make it a point that Georgia gets a birthday cake during her birthday as well, (Our Mum  always made sure we had cakes and presents during our birthdays, my siblings and I, while growing up. Thus, being Georgia’s Mummy – I wanted to do that for her as well.), 2. I had different cakes throughout the years, good examples include a Little Mermaid Cake and a Mulan Cake (I love them! haha), we get to choose the design we want (except when we were really young of course – really cheeky, Pau).

P.S. Making a pasta dish experiment at 11 P.M. on a whim is the best way to start out one’s birthday (in my opinion). Knocking on your sister’s door (since you made her some as well) is definitely the best, best way as well. I am proud to say that the experiment turned out good.

Hello Yummy Pasta (Unbiased)

P.P.S. Goodnight Thursday. I have to wake up really early later (eep). It is gonna be the best day ever! Yey!

What I’ll be doing in a couple of hours – with vengeance (haha).

(Photo Credits – Beautiful Party Pictures by Cary Pennington)

It’s already a Sunday, where did the weekend go?

“Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.”

– John Shirley

Before this week officially comes to an end, I would like to give an update on how Georgia’s visit to the vet went. I’ll make this short and sweet (I hope). She woke up feeling much better and was back to her busy day schedule (she is one busy pup – I know she’s two already but I still prefer the pup reference as opposed to saying dog). Nevertheless, off to the vet we went.

Everyone greeted Georgia a belated happy birthday and they asked her how she felt blowing her cake – thank you dokies! I brought up my concerns with the dokie and she asked me a couple of questions about Georgia. To rule out the possibilities, Georgia went off and got her first x-ray (Yup, I got worried while this was going on. But I was assured that this is completely safe for Georgia). The x-ray was normal (Thank you Baby Jesus!) and Georgia has really cute bones and I even saw her little heart (we got to bring her x-ray home with us). I had to drop by the pharmacy though (it was rainy) to get the stuff listed on the prescription – Georgia is now taking B-complex (B1, B6 and B12 to be exact) vitamins because perhaps she just lacks those (that’s why she was unwell) and I do hope that is the only reason why. The cute thing about the vitamins – they are strawberry flavored! (I don’t know. I find it cute. haha.)

I love you, Georgia!

By the way, the little one made a new friend during our visit to the vet. A very cute poodle , he was trying to give Georgia a kiss – “Little poodle, any romantic overtures towards Georgia is not a good idea and  please don’t forget that you are still four months old. However, you are a dear and you can be her friend”.

P.S. The weekend was good (a bit of action earlier today, not the good kind). I love the good stuff I was able to get at the health food store. I also love salads.

I love salads forever. Right Shal?

P.P.S. I feel fuzzy right now, I think I caught a bug (I have a low immune system). It sure is nice to lie down and have the little one lick your forehead (she sensed that I wasn’t well). I’m sure with her gentle ministrations and perhaps some ice cream, I will be up and about (I hope I don’t have to go to the doctor although I love him very much). My mum has been eyeing me, I will try to act extra chirpy (mental picture of a bird in my head as soon as I used the word).

Georgia the blur – a very busy pup. I love her to pieces – I think she knows.

She was also trying to wrestle with my ribbon (above).

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

Hi Everyone.

I hope your week is starting out okay – mine is, so far (Except the Georgia-not-being-her-usual-self-which-gets-me-all-freaked-out-and-super-worried part. To the point of being in possible-crying-tendencies-occuring-anytime-soon mode).

I am making this a separate post at the last minute so that – 1. I won’t boggle anyone’s train of thought, 2. To pacify myself as well (I can be OC about certain things being orderly – it is quite selective).

I was initially planning to post my article about the Cebu Expo which I went to (it’ll be up in a little while) but when I got home  today, the little one didn’t look like her normal self. Yes, she was still waiting on the porch (wiggling her tail and shaking her bumbum to welcome me) as soon as I got off the car but something was definitely off (A mum can sense these things. *nodding*). I  had decided to call it a night with stuff (and do some posting tomorrow instead) in order to focus more on the little one (Don’t I do this enough to the point of stalker level? I kid.). Like what my own mum tells me (I strongly believe it too), mums have this “something” (super powers) – said something helps you when you are sick. At times when I feel like the little one is stressed out (usually during scheduled shots) or groggy (when I got her teeth cleaned – I’ll write a separate post about this), I drop everything and just cuddle her until she falls asleep (and I do too. haha.). I hope that whatever mummy “something” I have (even though how minimal it may be) will emanate through her and help her get better.

Something came up however so I have to stay up after all and thus I decided to go ahead and work on this as well. I’m in bed typing this since it is the only way for me to get this done and for Georgia to be able to continue sleeping (She doesn’t want distance between us – i.e. the desk is just 1.50  meters away. Yep, she’s quite sweet.). I’m sort of back to my normal self now, I was quite frazzled about the little one a few hours ago.

How are you feeling, George?

I am taking her to the vet tomorrow to make sure she’s okay – I don’t take chances especially with Georgia and her well-being.

Dokies at the vet place, see you tomorrow – Yes it is I, Georgia’s mummy, who pays you regular visits (the “obsessive with everything and anything that concerns Georgia” mum – i.e. “Doc, I noticed that Georgia is scratching her eyes lately. Can you please check on.. and this..as well?”). I appreciate all your help and love for the little girl, dokies.

Hopefully everything is okay and that Georgia is fine – tomorrow, can you come sooner please?

This is sort of an overdue post (or not really). Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, Georgia celebrates her second birthday. A few days ago (4th of August to be exact), she turned two. It was a whirlwind day and the days prior to it – preparations, preparations.

Just a little heads up, this post will have a gazillion pictures. Yep, just letting you know. Although, I did show some restraint and just decided to pick a bunch.

This year was a bit easier (in terms of preparations) than the year before. Yes, it was still mind-boggling but – 1. things are much better this time around, 2. and there are more improvements (since I already encountered them last year). The baker problem was already taken care of (thanks a lot, mum!) and the balloons (by simply getting them done by the same people from Georgia’s first birthday), I expanded the menu a bit more (did some cooking as well. shocker! haha), took care of my present for the little one way ahead of time (well, just a day or two ahead than last year’s).  I also started organizing a few days earlier this year (big difference).

(Deep Breath) Ok, here we go.

Preliminaries

(Georgia pleading for me to rescue her while she was being groomed.

Excuse the fuzzy photo, I wasn’t able to bring my camera with me.)

I got Georgia groomed a day or two before the big day so that she’ll be extra pretty (since she is already gorgeous to begin with). The people at the vet place greeted Georgia which made me smile a lot. Thank you very much for the well wishes for the little one. We really appreciate it.

(This is Georgia’s portrait for this year’s invite. She’s a natural.)

(This is part of her invite which we gave to the guests. I worked on this a few days before the big day so that they can be given to the guests ahead of time.)

The Big Day

It was a very long day for Mummy (but all worth it for the little one). Slept for just a couple of hours and woke up really early to attend mass with Mum in honor of the little one’s birthday (The reader included it for that particular mass – “This mass is offered as thanksgiving for Georgia Cañete’s birthday”. Haha. How cute.). I picked up the food, the balloons (the driver had to go further since the balloons were at the other branch instead), the cupcakes, did some last minute shopping for some parmesan and then finally the cake – all of these during the later part of the day. I also did some cooking and got the iced tea ready (I used tea bags and honey). Getting everything settled and all ready for the guests took some time as well (I had to add the finishing touches such as chopping up more parsley to garnish the pasta and slicing more lemons for the drink). I will let the pictures do the talking now (sort of). Enjoy!

Don’t forget the cake and the little girl who owns it (blowing the candles). I didn’t put the birthday hat on (on Georgia) this year because the birthday girl was already too excited to eat her cake and she was also a bit tired.

After blowing her cake, I did a bit of slicing and served the first piece to the birthday girl who loved it very much and  who barked as soon as she was finished with it so that she could get seconds. After giving birthday cake slices to all the doggies (i.e. Smeagle, Max, Hugo, Roxy, Sebastian, Mariah, Meg, etc.) and opening presents (and trying them on) , the birthday girl was done for the day.

At the tv room -

Almost there..

Just a little bit more..

There we go. Goodnight sweets!

Yep, she was really pooped.

I talked to Ate Tatie and she asked, “Do you think she enjoyed her birthday?”. To which I answered, “I don’t know. But I hope she did.” Her reply was, “I believe she did.” (warm fuzzy feeling)

George, you are two already. Looking forward to another year and like what mummy always says, may you always be safe and may you have good health, happiness, and long life (and everything a puppy could ever want and need). I love you, Georgia. Happy Second Birthday, Sweets.

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

I emailed my sister, Ate Tatie, a few days ago to send her an electronic version of Georgia’s birthday invitation and texted my friend, Bernie, about Georgia turning two. Time flies by so fast! She is turning two (i.e. tomorrow, the 4th of August) – she’s a big girl now. It makes me teary (and very happy of course).

(This picture was used for her first birthday invitation. We enclosed a small copy in each invite so that the guests will have a keepsake of the little one. Is this your fake smile, George?)

Big preparations are still ongoing at the moment – I make it a point to organize a birthday party for Georgia (hopefully every year) and this is her second year which is just as important. We already handed out her invitations – among the dogs in attendance will be Max (My sister, Ate Sherry’s pug), Hugo (Ate She’s Boyfriend, Kuya Vince’s beagle), Smeagle (My sister, Ate Tatie’s shih tzu). It will be quite fun and casual and it will just plainly be about  - 1. celebrating Georgia, 2. celebrating the fact that I have her in my life, 3. her turning another year older.

I will post more about this soon (a more detailed account of the big event) but for now, here are a few pictures of her birthday party the year before, when she just turned one (very very important).

(Georgia blowing her first birthday candle. She just turned one then.)

(This was Georgia’s Birthday Cake and Birthday Hat. A doggie cake baked especially for her. It was quite difficult to find a baker. Thanks a lot Mum for helping me out with finding one. On a side note, all the doggies were given a slice after she blew the candle.)

(We also had yummy cupcakes with cut dog paw icing on them and the punch was great. I made a birthday sign for the little one as well.)

(One of her presents were these pink sneakers. Kuya Vince wanted Georgia to try them on They are great and we thank you for the sneakers. Georgia wasn’t very happy wearing them though. She immediately took them off after this picture. Haha.)

(This was after blowing her birthday candle. She really loved the cake. She started devouring it right off the cake tray. She also posed with one of her presents.)

(Ate Sherry carrying Max while Georgia was about to blow her birthday candle. Georgy wearing her birthday hat. She didn’t like wearing it but she did look cute. We took it off after blowing the candle.)

Little Georgy, you will be turning two very very soon. It will make Mummy cry but she’ll be very happy and she’ll be looking forward to another year with you. I love you, Georgia.

(Photo Credits – Paula Cañete)

Yep, this is quite inevitable (I would have made this my first post. Teehee.) I suggest you get comfortable in your seats and make sure you have some chips to nibble on because this is gonna be a long read.

Hello Everyone.

I would like you to meet Georgia, my cutie patootie (big smile, full of love).

How I met the little one is a very memorable experience for me and a great story. Almost two years ago and just a few weeks into getting settled back here in Cebu (I was in Manila for some time prior to this), I was just strolling one afternoon and I stopped by a pet store (I always stop by pet stores whenever there is one in the vicinity – 1. I love animals, 2. I love pet stores, 3. Because of the cuteness factor of the puppies). On the uppermost cage and all alone is the world’s most  amazing and gorgeous puppy. I spent hours just standing there and looking at the puppy thru the glass wall of the pet store (she was staring back at me as well – lifting her little head up so that she can see me over the fluff of hair that covered her eyes then). I would stroll again and return after awhile (There was a caretaker person inside that area with the puppies and –  1. He creeped me out, 2. Most importantly, I didn’t want him to think I was oogling him. haha!)  to just stare and coo over the little one.

I just had this “it” feeling and I just wanted to bring her home for my very own – this was what I wanted more than anything else in the world. I looked at her and knew that I would call her Georgia (which is amazing because – 1. I was already naming her and I am usually quite indecisive when it comes to naming pets, 2. I didn’t even know then that the puppy was a she but I just knew I’d call her Georgia).

I was calling everyone and telling them about this puppy I wanted more than anything in the world. I was already imagining scenarios and things we would be doing together. I eventually went inside the store to ask how much she was and she was quite expensive – in my head I was saying, “Owning her would be more out of the question now. It is insanely too much money to spend on a puppy. The odds would be quite against me if I ask the parentals because it would be another reason to tip the scale to no (the other reason being that I am asthmatic).

But Georgia and I are indeed meant for each other because the next day, I was back in the pet store and waiting at the counter while they were fetching her. Mum rescheduled a meeting because she wanted to be there with me and her first words were, “pagka.gwapa!” (she found Georgia to be quite beautiful). The pet store owner told me that the puppy is a she (Yep, Georgia it is) and she was supposed to be sold yesterday because another person requested for her but that person didn’t show up so they decided to sell her to anyone who wants her instead (it’s fate, I tell you). It scares me sometimes when I am recalling this because if the said person did show up that day, then I wouldn’t have Georgia at all and what a big void it would have been to not have known her (I am not being melodramatic, she brings more to my life).

We got  bowls as well for her food and water before we went off. I then stopped by the vet place to get her checked, to see if she is healthy, to ask about food recommendations, ask about shots and basically ask what she needs (supplement wise as well). They weighed her and we scheduled the shots she would need . (For those who have puppies and are wondering, the shots included the following – deworming shots, parvo virus shots and kennel cough shots. etc. These were done in intervals. Please ask your vet about shots that your pets need so that they are protected and will be healthy.)

I cuddled her in the car all the way home. The first time I placed her down when we got home, she immediately huddled back to me (this is normal when you are introducing your new pets to your home, this is all new for them and they need to adapt to the new environment. They will seek comfort from what is familiar to them which in this case is you, the owner. If you ever plan to bring a new puppy or pet any pet to your home, please do some research so that the transition won’t be as difficult for them).

(This picture of Georgia was taken when she was just two weeks in her new home.

Yep, that is the fluff of hair covering her eyes – we went to get her a haircut, don’t worry.)

(This was taken over a year ago, when she was just lounging in her bed and Mummy rushed to get a camera to take a picture – as usual. She was okay with posing for Mummy.)

It was definitely a profound experience, being her mummy for the first few weeks (even up to now, I might add). I would dubbed it as an “unplanned pregnancy”  in a sense (I don’t mean to offend anyone and this doesn’t mean I condone the serious meaning of said term especially for those who aren’t ready for such an undertaking). I was just strolling and then out of nowhere, I became a mummy (I know you might say, “Excuse me lady. You are just talking about a puppy remember??”). But hey, she isn’t just any puppy and having her is one thing that I am forever grateful for – it is an honor to be this little one’s mummy.

She is turning two really really soon and it makes me teary (blush). Although you can’t read this little Georgy, I just want you to know that I love you very much sweetheart and that Mummy is very proud of you and I will do everything that I can to ensure that you have all the things a puppy  as amazing as you might ever need. (I stressed more on good health, happiness, safety and long life. As well as chewies, treats, ripe mangoes and cantaloupes for the little one  - I think she might beg to differ that these are more important.)

Cheers, my little soulmate!

Thank you for taking the time to see through until the very end of this post  for this is definitely the lengthiest post I made so far (if you reached this part). I can be very mushy when it comes to the little one (Indulge me). I will write more about her soon.

P.S. Like what I said in my first post –  if you get irked by posts such as these, please don’t hurt me.

P.P.S. If you want to set a play date with Georgia and your little pup (and you are in Cebu), please let me know. It would be great for her to be able to play with small doggies as well (since the other doggies we have are quite big and thus they can’t play with her). Georgia and I are still looking for a bestfriend  for her (aside from me, of course. haha!).