Teasers

our appetizer : scallops , my youngest helped in slicing and preparing/plating this

main course

Okay, since my hubby doesn't like me taking photos of food

Had to sneak in these photos

It helps when you have a top chef in your kitchen

He gets to work while you entertain the guests, haha

Enjoy...

Fab dinner with friends

this is me after the party

after party

We hosted a dinner last night for the godparents of my son in Confirmation
Was really a fabulous time being around people you like

And intellectual people whom you can converse with

With just about anything

Sharing thoughts, ideas and learning from their different fields of expertise

We weren't able to take photos as we were involved with the gastronomic delights

prepared by my husband

So these are just the photos I can share

I hope you sort of get a glimpse of the fun we had...

Happy Monday!

Summer break

At Essensa's poolside

I woke up with a terrible headache
Have so many details to fix today
as tomorrow's a big day for my eldest

Have to prep for tomorrow
but also have 2 parties today
which are good friends so we can't say no to

Yesterday, my co-parent hosted a lovely swimming party
The whole day was just spent chaperoning
Went home really tired and exhausted
Thank goodness for my massage last night

Am off to 2 parties again, despite the terrible headache
and tons of things to do before we leave

Oh well, the perks of having a lot of friends
There's always a celebration to fill up the calendars

Happy weekend!

More photos from Ian

Another one from Ian
w/ Malu

Photos by Ian

already shared this before

w/ Janina

w/ Delphine de Lorme

w/ Marivic Rufino

Just sharing with you photos from past events

Thanks to Ian Santos for always being game

and would without fail take my photos

It's like documenting my life

So when I look back

I'd say, Wow, I lived!

It's almost Friday!

Self Portrait

It's Sunday
On the way home from my son's basketball tournament
Yup, yesterday football, today basketball

I'm losing my voice from too much cheering!

Have a restful Sunday!

Champetre

After the Nuvali game

Freshened up

Heard Mass

then family dinner at Marc Aubry's new resto

The old Gourmand is now Champetre

Rustic, French

Whole family enjoyed the food

Always happy to support friends

And seeing how they come up with new ideas

Congratulations!!!

Our hot day in Nuvali

photo taken by Rica de Jesus

Spent most of the day in Nuvali for the culminating tournament

of my son's football team

It was so hurtingly hot that I was just so glad I was in good company

Whole family went out to support

Fun and good friends of mine there too

My son scored an "Epic" goal, as per one kid

Just when I left for a break!

Oh man!

I didn't hear the end of where was I from everyone and how I missed it

Hey, doesn't it count that I was there for 6 hours not ncluding the trip of an hour and a half???

Haha, kidding aside, I wish I was there to see it

But then again, better yet that I wasn't

Or they would've seen a cheerleader gone wild

Ahh, the joys and pains of motherhood...

Happy weekend!

Remembering my 40th

This time last year

I was so excited to turn 40

I was doing a countdown and was busy preparing for my party

This year, I opted for a more quiet, serene and exotic way to celebrate it

So my family and I will be out of the country marvelling at one of the wonders of the world

Decided to re-post my good friend Rica's take on my party last year (thanks much, Rics!)

Her site is one of the few blogs I visit

So here's the link and though I couldn't share this day with all of you then

I hope sharing it with you now makes one feel they were part of the event

Like how I share my everydays with you

Enjoy....

http://www.heart-2-heart-online.com/2010/06/13/rachelles-40th-birthday-celebration/

Nature tripping

Testing my new trowel

I love plants

Must have been the influence of my green-thumbed mom

She can make dying plants come back to "greenhood" once again

Since I have a roofdeck and a pocket garden

I bought several potted plants for me to take care of

Our gardener comes only once a month to check on the status of the plants

Otherwise, I just need to water them everyday

The gardener taught me that I need to loosen up the soil once in a while

He also gave me a poison when I start seeing insects /white spots on the plants

So, yesterday, while at True Value

I saw their choices for a novice gardener like me

Got my 1st gardening tool, the trowel

And of course was excited to use it right away

I hope as time passes, gardening will be second nature to me

As it is for my Mom

Happy Tuesday!

Our powder room

The Art Has Been Replaced!

our new mirror

the plywood provision

I blogged about this plywood provision months back

It is really very interesting how a lot of people

mistook it as art

Hmm, I should've sold it then, hahaha

Well, today, I covered that art

With something I need

Hard to brush teeth without seeing them

Finally, things are falling into place

I bet this time, this doesn't look like anything else but a mirror

Okay, it can be art in itself

Good might!

Little Big Man

w/ Nani & her youngest

Was in my son's school the other day

Waiting for him to come out of his varsity practice

When I spotted this cute baby of Nani's

Babies really smell so good & fresh

And look who's wearing the chambray

He looks like a small , big man

With Nani having all girls and 1 boy

She was asking me how boys are

Her baby was laughing at my antics

So she goes, oh you're really used to boys

I said, so much easier

No dramas, no taking time to decide

Easy, umcomplicated

And they adore their moms, haha

I think I have enough personalities to fill this house
If there's one more, that would be riot!

For my husband, that is, haha

Enjoy the weekend!

First World

checking out the different services

St. Luke's Global City

been here several times for my derma but first time to avail of services

My son wasn't feeling too well this past week

I finally convinced him to go to the hospital

Had my annual tests as well

Only because it was so convenient and fast

Went there , got a number

clean and nice, comfortable seats

CNN on the tube

Paid, went in, done

What's even more impressive was when they asked

how would I like to have the results sent

E-mail, of course!

And impressively, again, that same night, results were in.

It also helps of course that after the tests

You can eat and relax at the different restaurants that abound

Finally, a world class health institution

Oh yeah, good news is, it wasn't pricey

Check it out!

Happy birthday, Trish!

w/ one of my closest friends, Trisha

celebrating her ___ birthday, wink, wink

birthday lunch at Cerveseria, Greenbelt 3

Trish & I have been celebrating birthdays for the past 6 years now

We always have a great time EATING (yes, we love that) , chatting, and just

talking about anything, we can go on for hours

I would say having a friendship you truly enjoy

makes one of life's greatest gifts

Happy birthday, Trish!

Til next!

Fawning and Fabulous

his entourage

his new (thank you, Tita Anne! again!) Havaianas w/ the limited edition pin

w/ my dear friend , Rima

Actually this post is supposed to be 2

but since am multi tasking, uploading pics while talking on the phone and wrapping a gift

I just uploaded all 3

Was again at the Make Your Own Havaianas yesterday

My son wanted to make his own

So, Tita Anne, generously invited us again to come over

before the crowd comes in today

Funny and sweet how all these girls

were fawning over my youngest

Giving him all the attention

and saying he looks like Justin Bieber! ( the hair, I guess, nope, it's not a compliment for him, sorry!)

Rima & I made sure we're there at the same time

We're too busy to go out or dine

Was just thinking, looking at the photos

how appropriately age-dressed we were

She in her 20's outfit, colorful, young

Me,in my 40's, in denim slacks and Chinese collared-embroidered top

May I say

Irregardless of age

Be fabulous all the time!

Happy Thursday!

May Town & Country

Nice cover
Get your May issue of Town & Country
One of the best reads in town...
Oh yea, and in the country, wink, wink...

Make Your Own Havaianas 2011 (Citizens of Summer)

w/ my dear friend, Anne Gonzalez at the 2011 Make Your Own Havaianas Event, Powerplant Mall tent

my classic pair with kalesa & Eiffel tower

Thank you, again, to my good friend and a great entrepreneur, Anne Gonzalez

for inviting us to the 2011 Make Your Own Havaianas event

Always fun to attend Havaianas events

and always amazing all the gimmicks they come up with

Congratulations again, Anne

Proud of you!

Mother's Day sentiments

rose from my son's school

from my youngest, the card was also touching, according to him, he chose the card by what was written on it

from my eldest, his card also had nice sentiments

a portrait of me done by my youngest


Just sharing with you what I got from my children on Mother's Day

Oh yeah, also the Bruno Mars CD for the song, "Just the Way You Are"

Suwwweet!

Who stole the cookie jar?

Everytime I go to my Mom's
I take something with me
She has so many nice stuff that remind me of my childhood
that I usually ask her if I can have them in my home

So the victim today was this cookie jar
Eversince I can remember, I find this jar amusing
and cute! Kinda makes me smile just looking at it

Til my next trip there
She didn't let me have that nice candleholder though

One of these days, she'll give in.

Enjoy the rest of Mother's Day!

The Pioneer

My mom on the phone with my brother

Quickly visited her today, I had no make up on

Happy Mother's Day to all you great Moms!

We visited my Mom quickly this morning

My eldest wasn't feeling so well

So we couldn't possibly stay longer

What's nice about my Mom is she never pressures us to be there

If you can make it, come

If not, then no worries

I was tempted not to visit

Since I have a valid reason

My son not feeling well

She lives quite far

so she understands

But then I got to thinking of all those times

That she sacrificed for me

Raising us to the best she could

Gave her all for us, even sacrificing her own career

She's a dentist by education but didn't work

So she can focus on raising us

I know it was so worth it

Fortunately, we all turned out the way she would have wanted

Even my own husband asked

How my mom raised me

He salutes the way she has (his opinion)

So to the woman

who is the most unselfish person I know

Who has an enormous heart and is my No. 1 fan

Always there to support me and believe in me

The reason why I have so much faith and confidence in myself

The reason why when my own children ask me why I'm such a good mom

I always answer them the same thing

"Lola was such a good mom too, that's where I got it from"

Thank you, Mom

For the guidance and inspiration

For knowing when to compliment us

and knowing when to tell us the brutal truth

You continue to be a voice in my decisions

You are the best and you're one of a kind

And as I get older

Your value just gets higher and higher

May I be half as good a mother

as you have been and continue to be

Happy Mother's Day to a real hero!
I love you!

My new something to do

Got this invite to do painting classes
and though learning how to paint was not in my list of what I want to learn
Pottery was more like it
It sounded like fun

So had my first painting class yesterday
It was very relaxing though tiring as well
Relaxing cause all we had to focus on was the object
Nothing else

We had blind contouring yesterday
As my painting teacher said
All art stems from drawings
Ooops, drawing is the one thing I'm not good at
Thank goodness for draftsmen
who can draw for me when I design interiors

Maybe now, I will at least, get a bit more tips on how to better myself in drawing
Never too late!

Happy weekend!

Heartwarming notes

gift from my student

was so touched with his note

a note from a girl student


Yesterday was the last day of CCD

We had a potluck party

Was so touched when I got these notes from my students

Really touching and just how far we've come from being strangers the first day

to people whose lives you've touched and whose lives touched yours

Am gonna miss those children

and will always wish the best for them

Teaching is indeed one of the most fulfilling jobs one can venture into.

Maybe even once in your life, try it.

Friends from BKK

w/ Art & Irma

Yup, food's gone

Art & Irma were my first friends in Bangkok

They helped us a lot when I was adjusting to life there

pregnant and with a toddler

They showed me where to go, kept me company

and just made the transition easier

For that I will always be grateful

So, I always look forward when they visit Manila

I always feel warm when friends of ours from our life overseas visit

I just feel a special bond

how that part was real and so much a part of who we have become

Since my friends live in Bangkok (Art is Thai)

They requested for Filipino food

so I gladly served kare-kare, Bicol express, and, catfish mango salad

Thanks for visiting Art & Irma

See you in your neck of woods this year!

Safe travels!

Before the guests arrive

preparing for dinner guests

linens from Vietnam

Good friends of ours from Bangkok visited last night

Was again a busy day in the house

with the noise of drilling, installing

but my worker was such a fast worker

he accomplished everything quickly , leaving me enough time to prepare for guests

Just decided to do this frenchy set-up

wanted something feminine and sweet

My fave plates from Gien

More than a decade after

still loving it...

Happy Thursday!