2024 Project Life!

We got lots of holidays this month and took advantage of doing my album cabinet once again. I have been looking at my old pages and did a lot of button sewing and gluing falling letters and embellishments, I also dusted off my pages and changed a lot of broken page protectors. With this, I think I have gone through a lot of my backlogs and I feel pretty much accomplished for now.

The next stop is my Project Life-- I run through my 2024 PL today and added some more elements to complete the documented memories and here goes...

I have been doing Project Life for 13 years, which I started in 2012. From then, my 12x12 pages were lessen but my Project Life is complete and well documented. This week, I checked my page protectors and noticed that I only have a few pieces left. I started searching at online stores and saw that Project Life has been discontinued already... SAD! Now I am thinking of how will I go on with this... 

I fell in love with the idea of Project Life because I get to use my scraps, my loose stickers and other embellishments, and it is a much faster way to document life. I hope I can continue this... forever!

Never stop creating memories and documenting them... TFL!

 

Lutong Ala Eh!

Here's another outside the school competition... This time, Chuy and partner Eara joined the National Food Showdown sponsored by Batangas University at Lipa, Batangas on November 21, 2024. They cooked the traditional Pinakbet and the gourmet inspired Pumpkin Soup. 

Lutong Ala Eh! again, was coached by the THM Dean, Mr. Francis Pine. Another experience to add in his cooking portfolio. I used here DCWV patterned papers, assorted patterned papers, buttons, stickers, DMC threads and washi tapes.

'Til the next page... I am getting ready for another national holiday next month, the Holi Week!

Thanks for looking!

Kusinang Calambeno

I'm back!

Captured Chuy's first cooking competition outside the school on June 10, 2024 at the Rizal Coliseum. STI College Calamba was invited by the local municipality to compete for a main dish out of yamang dagat of the Laguna de Bay and a gourmet dessert. Chuy and his bestfriend Cy created the Gourmet Bilo bilo. Bilo Bilo is a traditional sweet dessert which originated from the Visayas province, it is made out of glutinous rice balls cooked in coconut milk. What made their dish gourmet is that the different ingredients were made into layers like sapin sapin, another local kakanin in the Philippines. They were coach by their very talented teacher, Mr. Francis Pine.

Kusinang Calambeno was an experience, think about it and learn about it, my son. My heartfelt gratitude also to Kuya Kim and Kuya Allan, Chuy's senior schoolmates that helped them too. I used here assorted scraps of patterned papers, DCWV patterned paper, ribbons, buttons, metal and cloth covered brads, DMC threads, stickers and washi tapes. 

Thanks for looking... as always.

2023 Project Life!

Every year, I promise to scrap and blog, and I hope to keep that promise! Today, I am posting my 2023 Project Life. It was a year of going back to life after the pandemic. I was able to meet old friends, had the courage to go out and eventually, traveled towards the last quarter of the year. 

Here goes 2023!

Project Life makes my annual documentation a lot exciting and meaningful. For now, I am still half way with 2024, can't wait to finish it the soonest! As usual, I used a lot of scraps for this year's documentation. Stickers, buttons, memorabilia and other embellishments are maximized and repurposed, so nothing goes to trash!

Thanks for looking! Happy creating!

Welcome 2025... Thank you 2024!

 

Hello 2025!

Life has always been busy for me... being a single Mom and a teacher! 2024 gave me a lot of challenges from work assignments, personal and emotional matters down to a devastated roof after a super storm. But inspite of these, I have all the reasons to be grateful and thankful for 2024. And so, let us face 2025 strong!

My Lorenzo

Chuy turned 20 in March and surpassed his 1st year in college. He had a lot of cooking exposures lately and mostly are outside the school. His team won the 1st place in the local TNT's Chef's Xpress in March with his bestfriends Cy and Kurt. He joined the Buhayani's Kusinang Calambeno dessert category in June and was even featured at Channel 7's Unang Hirit. And just this November, he joined the National Food Showdown at Batangas University. Special thanks to his teacher, mentor and Dean, Sir Kiko Pine for personally motivating him. I am a proud Mom here!

My Luigi

Luigi remained to be a very responsible son and big brother to the family. He helped in the family business manning Mommyla's kitchen and store. At the same time, he finds time to unwind with his girlfriend Alyssa... which I hope he marries soonest!

Me and my Life now...

Just like the previous years, I know I have to take it easy because I'm not getting young anymore. I had elevated cholesterol and triglycerides mid 2024 and it made me change my lifestyle, and it worked wonders for me. I went back to walking, tried to sleep early everyday and find more time to rest.  Work in school and teaching has always been my constants, but somehow, I was rewarded this year unexpectedly. I have a new School Administrator Boss and I am just thankful. Administrative tasks are getting automated and making things simplier for us teachers this semester. Research and Feasibility Study papers are better this year and I am equally proud as a Program Head. The traffic going to work and going home remained the same and sometimes got worst, but I discovered a new way to battle it, its to use the local train. Towards the last quarter of the year, the Philippines encountered typhoon Kristine, which left me a broken roof that made my life slow both in finance and repair. Prayers kept me calm and the family helped me worked in it.

My Family

Life can always be tough, but my family remained happy and contented! My Mommy turned 85 this year and aside from an aching knee, she is perfectly okay. My brothers and their families were equally blessed with new homes, making them have a comfortable life abroad. My boys are big and our little family is getting bigger! 

Life has always been a blessing to me. I will tirelessly pray for the Lord's blessings of good health, strong mind in wisdom and understanding, time for friends, family and loved ones, and just peace of mind. Maraming Salamat po sa May Kapal!

Welcome 2025!

Chef Xpress 2

Hello, I'm back!

Been so busy with work (as usual!) and been thru a lot of emotional ride this past few days. And what a better way to unwind is to play and blog. 

Another academic year will be over in less than 2 weeks and everyone in the faculty room is rushing their last requirements, checking their exams and ELMs, and doing their grades. Graduation will be in 3 weeks and we are all moving for it. Wheew!

This second semester, STI held its Tagisan ng Talino for the students to showcase their skills and talents in their respective program interests. Lorenzo and his friends joined again this challenge for the second time. Chef Xpress is a cooking challenge where the ingredients are given on the spot and the challengers make an appetizer, main course and a dessert menu out of it. Here is their take for this year....

Chef Xpress 2... Lorenzo, Cynold and Kurt won the 1st Runner-Up for the year. The magic ingredients were porkchops and squash, and they created a salad appetizer, braised porkchop and a pannacotta dessert from it. I used here MM pps, Bazzil white cardstock, DMC threads, pps and cardstocks scraps, a Project Life card, assorted stickers, buttons, green baker's twine, and Rangers' distress inks. Colors make memory keeping more lively and worth remembering.

I am currently updating my 2024 Project Life which I'm 3 months delayed. I am STILL polishing my 2023 Project Life which needs a lot of embellishing. Backlogs can still be exciting as ever... but for now, got to do some self care again.

Happy SCRAPPING everyone and I hope you enjoy every minute of that cutting and pasting!

TFL.