The Black Nazarene...

9 years ago, I regularly visited him in his home in Baclaran, Paranque City. I prayed to him to grant me to move on with life after loosing my baby girl Maxine, I wanted to try life in  a new place of venture. He did not give me what I really prayed for, but he gave me a blessing which is better than  leaving. He gave me my little Lorenzo... and with this, he gave me the opportunity to be a mother once again, opened the venture for teaching and now, taking another step in life.

God is really GOOD! He may not give you exactly what you want, but He will give you more than what you need. 

Thanks be to God. TFL!

My first work for the year... Challenge 12!

Its the first day of the new year! And I'm a bit energized to post and just hop around... Its our 12th challenge over at the Filipino Scrapbookers Challenge Blog, so I hope you can join us for another season along with our new designers and sketches.

Baby Rhian... she's my bestfriend Timi's pretty baby girl and I'm one of her godmother. Photo was taken during her baptism in 2010. I used here Cosmo Cricket pps, cardstocks, Bangkok paper flowers and silk leaves, and Brillance black ink. I made the layout very simple following the sketch and I just used foam tapes for depth. 

So what's in store for 2013? I wish to see a lot of scrapping and creating, another school year with the school I am now teaching, finish my academic subjects in the grad school, a little travel and some ME time, and still a lot of adventures and happy moments with my kids and my family. Lord, please grant me a strong and healthy body and mind to keep up all my visions. 2013, please be good to me!

To kick off the start of the year, I have work na tomorrow! Need to put myself in the reality mode... TFL! 

2012 Recap!

Its about four hours til 2013 and I feel like going back to how good 2012 was with me!

2012 started with a a great blessing for my hubby and our little family, he moved to a better place of work and pay. Although there were sacrifices that the four of us needed to face, I was just happy for him and his professional achievements. Then comes birthdays and celebrations! 2012 gave us all another additional year, Lorenzo turned 8 in March, Luigi turned 19 in September, Pia turned 3 in May and of course, my energetic Mom turned 73 in July. Just before my brother's wedding in April, I had a short trip to Bangkok, Thailand with close friends Timi and Ytet. We celebrated their Songkran Festival or their Water New Year, visited a lot of their temples and ate great authentic Thai food. Then came the most awaited wedding in the family, my brother Louie married Hyeleen Basilio of San Antonio, Zambales in April 21.

The second half of the year were school milestones moments... Luigi moved to Hotel and Restaurant Management where he is now a 2nd year irregular student and Lorenzo moved up to Grade 2 in Morning Star Montessori School. While I FINALLY gathered strength and enrolled at the Letran Graduate School to take my masters. It was not an easy decision at all, but I am keeping my positive mind to move on and still try. Now I am still teaching social sciences courses at STI College and studying every Saturdays, and still a panic Mom to my two boys. Lorenzo had his first field trip to Manila in August and he was ALONE! He's a growing brave boy.

Talking about brave, Lorenzo finally had his first dental treatment in October. He had a cleaning and 2 temporary fillings all alone by himself. 

My auntie in the US continued to bless me with tons of scrapbooking things most especially papers, papers and papers! That is why, my scrapbooking service is still on the go. I have a very loyal client in California who continuously trusts me and gives me tons of work. I have delivered 241 pages all in all for this year. I was able to make 295 handmade pages and a few frames and altered things too. Although I slowed down on attending events, I attended one in November and had so much fun shopping. I'm just grateful for a local design team assignment which gave me another 6 months on the team, we are the Filipino Scrapbooking Challenge Blog sketch designers. 

Overall, 2012 was another GREAT year for me! I was continued to be blessed, loved and stayed happy with my friends and dear family. At this point, I just like to THANK everyone... my STI family, my Letran Grad School classmates and professors, my LB Scrapaholics family ate Liezl, Doc Ritz, Nanay Cors, Lola Ytet, BFF Timi, Doc Chiqui and bunso Helga, who remained my sisters in all sorts, my brothers Louie and Jay and our Mom who are very unselfish to share whatever they have for me and my boys, my blessings Luigi, Lorenzo and Pia for being my source of happiness and craziness, and my hubby Dodo, for keeping up with all of ME. I love you all!

Thank you Lord for all the blessings of 2012!

May you continue to be with us for the coming 2013 and always!

Happy New Year Everyone!

and Thanks for always Looking!

Getting ready for the Holidays...

I always want to give personalized gifts before I finally head on the mall. With my workload and school load now, its really hard to squeeze some time to play. I made mini notebooks for girlfriends, scrapbook pages and photo frames for my close friends and families. I just hope they like my little something!

Barely 2 weeks before Christmas and I am now in panic mode! I'm not yet done with shopping and parties are soon coming. School is still up until the 21st... I still have 3 days of lectures and quizzes and a critic paper to submit for the gradschool. When can I be FREE for a vacation?! Can't wait for it because I have tons of scrap assignments to finish for next year's showing. 

On the other hand, life won't be exciting without anything to do at all. Still loving it inspite of the paperworks in the gradschool, late classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the endless Mommy duties. All these things just tell me one thing... I'm still alive and kicking! 

Thanks for looking peeps! Did you check your lists twice? Then go now to shop!

Filipino Scrapbooking Challenge Blog Sketch 11... is UP!

I'm back!
Late, but still back!

You... I made this as part of a scrap service for a US based client. Sketch 11 went well on multi photo theme, thanks to Melissa, our sketch designer!

Been wanting to update my blog, but everytime I open my laptop, I ended up doing paper works and assignments. And now, finally took a breather and just headed on to my old baby. I miss blogging... and scrapping as well. Anyway, Christmas vacation will be coming in two weeks time. Will make up for the lost time I promise!

Have to go! TFL as always!

Celebrating All Saint's Day

Remembering my dear Daughter Maxine, she should have been 11 years old by now! Stayed in the cemetery the whole day yesterday and just spent time praying, EATING and bonding with the family and relatives.

And now, back to reality! Need to study and do a lot of paper works due for next Saturday. Second semester will be on by Monday next week and I have 3 units additional to my regular 9 units load, but still pretty excited for the school opening though.

May the force be with us next week! It'll gonna be a rough but happy ride I assume.. TFL!

Filipino Scrapbooking Challenge Blog's Sketch 9

... is UP! Join us for another sketch challenge over here.

The Bestman... Luigi was the bestman during the wedding of his Ninong Louie in April this year. He was like a mini-me of my brother, just look at them. I used here My Mind's Eye follow your Heart pps, cardstocks, brads, Prima flowers, transparent letter stickers, and AC Thickers chipboard letters.

Thanks for looking as always!