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.

Chuy turned 20!

I miss blogging! and scrapping!

Every year, I anticipate 2 major long vacations from school-- its the Holy Week and the Christmas Season. Last month was the Holy Week vacation for us Catholics. Unfortunately, I was not able to scrap much, I just updated my journals in my Project Life 2023. I have both traditional and digital scrapping assignments to be doing, I guess Mr. Mojo is not yet around!

Oh well, I have to look for that mood, this is my all time stress buster! So, I finally did Lorenzo's 20th Birthday celebration photo. My big idea again is to use scraps-- mix match paper colors, brands and patterns, use old embellishments and still paper sew, to give that Issa's signature touch. This is a simple layout, but a playful one.

Happy 20th Birthday Chuwee! My youngest Boy turned 20! I can't believe he is 20 and I am getting old. We celebrated it at Casa Rebecca's Resort in Los Banos, together with my cousin Chelle's Birthday too.

Wait, I am totally out of the brands that I used. I used DCWV metallic cardstock (this is silver, I do not know what happened in the picture?!), checkered and dotted pps, assorted embellishments like stickers, wooden buttons, staple wires, fibers, pps scraps, metals, cork arrows, and DMC threads.

I had FUN doing this page... this is soooo ME! 

Thanks for looking...'til the next page!

Welcome 2024... Thank you 2023!

Here is another year to end... 

Looking back at the past 12 months of 2023, I am both grateful and pessimistic. But in spite of all my struggles in life,  I feel I am still blessed and still have a lot to be thankful for. Sabi nga nila... laban lang!

 My Lorenzo

Chuy turned 19 in March. He graduated in Senior Highschool in July and now taking Hospitality Management program at STI College Calamba. He continues to grow BIG and I am starting to get worried about this. But I am giving him the chance to adjust to college life while still enjoying gaming and being young. He continues to cook and explore on food, that he even joined the STI's Tagisan ng Talino's Chef Xpress. It was a great experience for him for a start and I am just a proud Mom!

My Luigi

Luigi turned 30 in September.. yes and still single, but taken! I can only wish for wedding bells and happy married life in the future. My eldest deserve God's wonderful blessings because he is an obedient son, patient brother, caring apo and faithful partner. Ingat parati when you drive.

My Family

In November, my Mom and I flew to Dubai to visit my brother Louie and SIL Hayk. I had a grandiose 2-week vacation away from work!  We had Dhow Cruise and dinner, Desert Safari and Arabian Nights experience. We climbed the tallest building Burj Khalifa and had a day at the Miracle Garden full of blooms. We drove to Abu Dhabi to see the Grand Mosque and the Qasr Al Watan Palace for 2 days. And probably strolled around almost all of the big malls in Dubai. I also met my classmates Alex and Nerie, and had day of catching up. The best part is I get to travel again and be with my sibling... and missed the boys for 14 days.

I needed this vacation after all my stress for the past 4 years, I believe I deserve this one!

Our mother turned 85 this year! Her memory is very good, she still dances weekly, pray 100x a day, cooks and bakes a lot... except for an aching knee, everything is OK with her.

Me and my Life now...

I know I have to take it easy... I am 55 and starts to feels old. I was confined in June for blood transfusion and up until now, I am on medication for iron deficiency-anemia. I am still in peri-menopausal dilemma at 55.

I am still working as a Teacher and a Program Head. As much as I wanted to work, I still want to learn more and help those aspiring teachers to be of service to the young minds. I had my 3rd Program Head training in December, where I get to meet new friends and felt empowered.

But at the same time, I want to keep that work-life balance. I still scrapbook, find time to meet old friends like my high school barkada and batchmates, eat out with my boys, clean my house and sleep. I think I am pretty much complete, even without a husband.

I want to enjoy and capture life, go back to traveling and never regret anything!

To wrap up 2023... life is still a struggle, but is still joyous and happy! As Covid19 seats back in a corner, we have to still take care of ourselves and our health. There were a lot of changes after that era of pandemic, but let us adopt to it for better life. 

Life must go on, let us just keep it simple but happy and fulfilling. Let us continue to pray for hope, strength and guidance. God bless us all!

WELCOME 2024!