It was a good day after all.

So the past few days, I’ve been complaining a lot about being sick.  It was actually the second worst new year’s welcome that I had (the worst was when a firecracker hit my leg, leaving a scar forever in my life).  Coughing and sniffling and wheezing and then nauseous, it wasn’t a party.

Imagine how much worse I felt when I still didn’t have a planner for the year!  It’s not that I’m an organized person; I just included being organized on my resolutions and then the one thing to aid me in doing so is nonexistent!  I went and called practically all bookstores in the area just to get my much wanted Moleskine Weekly Planner with a horizontal layout.  Nada.

My heart was breaking.  In my head, I just might feel better if I went to church.  So I did.  Right after the service, I walked to Powerplant Mall to cool down and look around (everything was on sale).  I went to National Bookstore, approached the Moleskine rack and voila.

As if I were so lucky, this one was right in the middle of the display rack.  I didn’t even think about it.  If there weren’t so many people in the store, I would have done a happy dance.  I marched up the cashier and rang the bell for some fantastic customer service.  Also, because of some promo, I also got to take home a small storage box.  How about that!? :)

I thought it was best to celebrate it with a meal of my choice, so I went up one floor, and my favorite coffee spot was there, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.  I ordered comfort food right away.

I can’t help it; I looooove their Greek Salad.  I honestly believe their serving sizes went waaaay up since last year.  It wasn’t always filled to the brim, but since around May 2010, there seems to be more of everything!  I love it.  And I paired it with my favorite brewed tea of theirs, Southern Blend Iced Tea.

After fifteen minutes, my plate looked like this.

PG na PG ang peg!  Hahahaha.  I love their stuff, I’m not kidding at all!

Anyway, Ted was quick to pick me up, and we got to talking about Daniel, our youngest brother.  Right now, since he’s almost like a freelancer, he has no jobs lined up yet, so I gave him a challenge last night.  If he can clean my room — closets, shoes and books included — I will give him PhP1,000.  We were just talking about it, and according to Ted, Daniel was thinking about doing it.

Now I don’t mind paying him for that kind of service.  My room… leaves a lot to be desired.  It used to have a big floor, but when Chuchi visited last week, there was a good enough space for her to talk five steps forward and backward, side to side.  Hahahaha.

When we got home, I saw this on my door.

And when I opened it, I saw what I have not seen for the past 6 months (not a joke or an exaggeration):  THE FLOOR.

I never really thought I had that much space!  I couldn’t really get a good shot without everyone in it, because they were just all so excited to see that I have a clean room!  My brother was not even shy to show his exhaustion in cleaning it up.  And also, he arranged most of my shoes on the new shoe rack.  He obviously crammed it — and I later on rearranged it to my liking — but what the heck.  It looks great!

Then there’s a ribbon on my closet door.  I untied it and it showed this.

I know it doesn’t seem too organized from the photo but he recognized my system.  I put the clothes I most recently wore at the extreme right, and the ones folded underneath them are the clothes that I barely wear.

I pulled out my lingerie drawer and even that is neatly arranged in rows!  Hahahaha.  I believe I have forever scarred my brother by making him fix my knickers. :)

All this for a price of PhP1,000.  I added PhP200 more for tip, because you can LITERALLY eat off the floor.  Sobrang linis, nakakaloka.

First thing I did?  Curled up in my bed and took out this book, in hopes of it lulling me to sleep.

Of course that failed and I ended up reading about 45 pages of it, but then again, it was a good way to turn the day around.  So filled with surprises.

I could get used to this. :)

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This was supposed to be posted last night, but PLDT once again failed to provide the Internet connection that comes with a PhP2,000 monthly bill.  WHAT THE FUCK PLDT?!  Globe, Sun, and Sky Broadband, please do something to improve your coverage in Las Pinas City.  There is more than one household itching to transfer service providers.  Thank you very much. 

One Roxas Triangle

I’ve always been so intrigued by this building.  According to Wikipedia, it is the 15th tallest building in the Philippines.  Each time I see it at night, it stands there with its classic elegance, quietly boasting, never humble, as if rubbing in my face what I’ve been missing all this time.

And I often wonder what it’s like to live in a place as posh and luxurious as this one.  Maybe I’m just blowing it all off in massive disproportion in my head, maybe it’s not as good as I think it is.  But still it would be nice to find out for myself.

Oh and did I mention that One Roxas Triangle is right across my workplace?  I’d love to wake up at 7 in the morning, only to find out that even if I move at a snail’s pace, I’d still be early for work.

Ah, to dream big.

The DIY Party of the Year (2)

Surprisingly, I had a hard time sleeping the night before the party.  I’m thinking it’s excitement, but the Antipolo ISP kicks our ISP’s ass, so I guess I just watched videos over and over and didn’t notice the time.  I think I slept around 3:30 in the morning.

When everyone was trying to catch breakfast, Oreo was reaching for his Dentabone.  Adorable little guy!

Remember the balloons?  Thanks to Jaja’s patience and Marga’s handy dandy elastics, they looked like this by the time I woke up.  Jaja got to work early!  Hahahaha.  I woke up in time for finishing touches.

Marga was feeling much better and suited up Chuchi for her first birthday attire (and I just realized I missed the second one but hey! She’s still adorbs).

This is the part when I turn this post into a photoblog post.  There are no words how Marga and her planning pulled this party off, and I’m just happy to be the regular laborer.  :)

After installing the balloon arch, my mother (the early bird SURPRISINGLY) felt the need to model it.

The party’s theme is rainbow, so to entertain guests as they are seated, coloring sheets and colored markers and pens were provided for each table.

Most of the stuff we had on the party must be duly credited to Pinterest!  That fantastic site just taught us practically every cute thing for this DIY party.  And we were members of the site waaaaaay before its local celebrity endorsement (just saying).

Marga scoped a cute font to make these menu labels.

Jaja outlined the birthday buntings and with a few clips…

The party is now in full swing!

 

The DIY Party of the Year (1)

Of course, it is that awesome, it has to come in parts!

Went to Antipolo a day before the party. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to come as early as I originally planned but thankfully, the wall just finished. It was fun to see Chuchi in such a good mood!

Unfortunately for Mommy, she got her cold. At least the celebrator is well! Hahahaha. I think she was trying to learn how to drink on her own. A little more practice love. :)

Chuchi has been practicing this, according to Marga.  Ask her how old she is and this is what she gives you.

Thanks to Marga’s planning, everything appears to be in check. The citronella candles will shoo away the buggies who just love to nibble.

The letters still need a lot of filling in but, it’s almost done.

The mother balloon is all pumped with its prizes in it.

And the kids have labored lovingly to pump these balloons.

Stick around and see how this DIY party pulls together! :)

The Great Light Show

I date my mother as much as I can, and lately she’s been bugging me about that ice cream Dylan and I had at the beginning of the year.  It was actually Gelatissimo, but because we were itching to go home, we settled for Caramia in Amici at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

After our scoop of gelato, we started walking and noticed that there was a set up of Christmas lights in the middle of the garden.  As it turned out, it was the first night of the annual light show they usually have.

My mother kept saying, “Tell Marga to bring Chuchi here, she will enjoy it so much!”  And in my head, I should tell Kuya Paolo to bring Marga and Chuchi here.  Hahahaha.

PS.  We got to taste Gelatissimo and we were fortunate to enjoy it half off!  We visited on their third anniversary.  My mother wants more.