Of Fairytales and Daydreams

For last year's halloween, I got overly excited and somewhat found myself designing and creating my girls' and niece's costume. I thought everything was so simple.  I have an idea in my head already and I know what I wanted it to look like. My sister and I have decided on a swan lake inspired look for the girls. I knew I just needed onesies/leotards and then I can just simply build on it. I was listing my materials and thinking "hey I can easily do this". I purchased my feathers and appliqué. I have the sequins and rhinestones on hand which actually added to my confidence. In the end there were a few snags that I was able to solve but it brought in a few realizations. 

I have always tinkered with clothing. Ripped things apart and put things together. I do not know why in the world did I never learn to do this properly. Technical skills would have saved me time. Knowledge that the appliqué will not stick to the material of the leotard would have allowed me to change my game plan. Did I tell you I ended up stitching it in a few places and just using double sided tape? Utterly sad. I also tried my hand with the sewing machine and in a few moments I broke the needle. I always thought I do not need sewing and pattern making skills, I can always employ people who can. BUT I guess my girls are such game changers in my life. Creating things make me so happy. To move forward from headpieces and transition to outfits is so fulfilling. Maybe I would be happier if it were executed perfectly too. So this year, I am claiming it! I wanna learn how to sew and move past just the running stitch and making things up as I go along. Already getting excited at what my learned hands can create. =)

The finished product! The tutu was hand made by me too!

Our girls adoring each other's outfit HAHA

Fairytales are made of these lovely bunch!

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much love

To My Daughters

My darlings, 

Oh how time flies... and I am scared to forget how you both are right now as you turn 2. 

You girls are so beautiful inside and out and I take much pride and joy watching you grow into great individuals.

Dear Sandra,

You are warm and friendly, have an easy smile that you give to us all and a strong low laugh that surprises me every time I hear it. You have taken into your role as an Ate to Lila so seriously, so early, without us imposing that role upon you. It is so endearing watching you pacify her, give in to her wants as soon as she cries and let go of whatever it is you are holding that she is grabbing from you. Thank you for being so easy to handle, sleeping through the night and just being chill as you are. It is amazing how your mind works too. You have now come to name animals, lion being among the first ones. I once found you on your own with an animal book pointing at each and naming them. You enjoy building using legos and blocks and solving the wooden puzzles. You have started I find it so cute how you crinkle your nose and show all your teeth forming that wide grin you give with matching head tilt. The way you purse your lips when you kiss is forever in my mind. 

Dear Lila, 

You are my feisty little one. Your smile dazzles me and everyone else you decide to reward with it. You have such an adventurous spirit, finding ways to climb up chairs and everywhere else then jumping off them. You are obsessed with baby wipes and wiping your face clean then every surface you can get to. You are always up to something and we run trying to catch up to you. You love to dance and sing its beautiful how you entertain us all. I find you loving books now too and asking me to read them over and over. I love how you grab my face refusing to let me leave your side and kiss me hard, the way you keep shoving your face in my tummy or sometimes even on my leg is pretty amusing. 

My girls, 

I also want to tell you how you both are so responsible at this age. I am watching you now trying to fix your own bed, placing the pillows, laying down the covers. I am thankful too with how early you both started following long instructions and commands. Truly a big help to momma. I am so grateful of the times when you show your love for your Kuya and for one another. When you hug him when he cries or each other. I love watching you in each other's presence, content with the company and at ease. Sometimes even quiet. This balances how you both are most often super kulit and magulo! How you have this endless fascination with pouring alcohol, wrapping chargers around your necks and playing with sockets. How you both love to keep washing your hands and splashing water all over. How you -Lila, loves playing with powder, putting it all over yourself and then dumping it on the floor. Same goes for Sandra but her product of choice is lotion instead. How you find it funny when someone goes ow, ouch or aray, when someone hits something or falls over. A real head scratcher that one. How you both are just simply a lot to handle since there are two of you. It is extremely overwhelming but amusing to say the least.

You have now started taking much interest with mom's make-up and my shoes. Very sad for my broken compact and smushed lipsticks but nonetheless am happy. You both get overly excited at the thought of dressing up also. Too excited actually that sometimes you tend to remove your clothes at the wrong time? Although this happened once followed by you Sandra saying pupu and when I brought you to the toilet you did do it there! YAY for letting me know you are ready for potty training. You are both getting your key words in too, Sandra more than you Lila. I think you are holding out on us Lils and I cannot wait for you to surprise us! Like that day when you held up a Boggle letter and screamed "A" and you were right! I will forever be happy to hear you express your "thank you's", "good night's", "borrow's", "fix's" and even when you scream "MINE". You have gotten that practice of repeating everything you hear so we better watch out. Since now you Sandra have gotten my expression "Oh crap". You say it every time you get your hand stuck and can't put it through the arm hole properly. And you Lila have said "Oh My God" around twice already!

I will forever remember playing "ring around the rosy" with the both of you and with Kuya. Laughing when we get to the part where we all fall down. It will never stop to be amusing whenever you hum the theme song of Universal Studios before a movie starts. Or when Sandra attempts to copy Lila and try to cross her arms over her chest and fails. I will not get over how when Daddy and I hug you both squish yourself in between.  You are our princesses. We love you both so much!

I am so happy you are in our lives. I sometimes watch you still in disbelief you came from me! For this year I promise to have more adventures with you guys that will give you a chance to explore our world. Again I love you both. Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

***

much love

Mother's Day Musings

My friend gave me the perfect Mother's Day greeting in a form of an article imparting the "latest parenting method". It had come to me at just the right time as I have been recently harbouring thoughts that really should not have been entertained in the first place. Coming from a 5 day business trip sans the kiddos, I was at my lowest low. I was tired and not feeling the spirit of mom's day at all.  I have led myself to fall into a pity trap. I blame it on our current generation that is so immersed in social media wherein we get a sneak peek of how the other person lives so easily. How effortless it is now to share moments and achievements to our network. Though we can argue that this can be a good thing. We learn a lot from what others share if we follow the right people. However, how easy also to compare lifestyles which may take a wrong turn into jealousy and resentment. A horrible horrible thing. I for one have been vulnerable to such recently. I hate it. It is the worst feeling. I follow moms that seem to have a hand on it all - the experts, the supermoms. So easy to let you feel that you are not doing it right...  So really this message cannot come at the best time. At the moment when moms are being glorified for a stellar job, I was sulking at the thought that maybe I am not doing enough.  The message cannot be any clearer. 

An excerpt from the article: 

• Worried your friend’s child has mastered the alphabet quicker than your child? Calm the fuck down.

• Scared you’re not imparting the wisdom your child will need to survive in school and beyond? Calm the fuck down.

• Concerned that you’re not the type of parent you thought you’d be? Calm the fuck down.

• Upset that your child doesn’t show interest in certain areas of learning? Calm the fuck down.

• Stressed that your child exhibits behavior in public you find embarrassing? Calm the fuck down.

Yes, using the CTFD method, you’ll find the pressure lifted and realize your child loves you no matter what, even if they’ve yet to master the alphabet. You’ll also learn that whether or not you’re the best parent in the world, as long as you love your child, they’ll think you are and that’s what matters.

Oh how we put pressure on ourselves as mothers. So hard on ourselves especially when it has anything to do with our children. But really I should just CALM THE F*CK DOWN! I am not perfect and that is ok. I do NOT have the answers to everything, smart tips and tricks and expert advises. All I have are personal moments that are ruled by how I love them. And really there is no one clearer rule except to just LOVE them. Everything else will follow.  I am all for raising unique individuals and clearly the only way to do that is mess them up a bit right? My imperfections will make them beautiful characters. It will make them MINE. 

***

much love

A Baby Shower to Welcome our Lil Man Roman

Hey Roman we are so excited for you to come out! We cannot wait to meet you! Mommy Mara is already so anxious going pass the 40 week mark and so are all your ninangs!!! 

This little guy is so lucky to have so many Titos and Titas waiting to spoil him.  Mara's baby shower is the biggest one yet  haha So for that we had to find a venue to fit all their guests!  So lucky that they are friends with Niki Sambile, the owner  of  Cafe14Four which provided the perfect setting for this affair. We got a fabulous package that included use of the space, scrumptious and filling merienda, a DIY S'mores station and Lemonade Stand. 

Cafe14Four is a Restaurant and a showroom in one. It is also open for engagement shoots! A fave of mine actually =)

Mara wanted a hint of blues,teal, gray and white and we accompanied it with small elements of the 'stache! Our friend Barbie did the hosting and games and also came up with our # for the day which was "lilmanroman" so apt!

Tarp,Big R  and bowties + moustache buntings courtesy of Ninang Kelly who couldn't join us, all other elements we just added and set up! We are seriously getting good at this haha Spot the cupcake stand that has been present in all our events 

Soo Roman please come out already! So many are waiting for you!! I now bombard your mom with text messages everyday asking if she is on her way to the hospital already! We love you already we cannot wait to meet you!!

***

much love

Happy 7th Birthday My Carlos!

I just realized, going through my blogposts that we have been giving C budget parties since he was 4! I actually thought his 7th would be the time where we go for the whole kaboom. However, practicality bested us again so we decided to go at it differently. Of course I will not do away completely from giving him a party that will be too cruel. So his dad and I decided to speak to him about it. We bargained and made him see the beauty of our plan teehee

What he got instead is a McDonald's Birthday and a beach trip with the fam bam! We scheduled his party at the last day of school for everyone's convenience. This worked so well that we got a full attendance from all his classmates, past barkada and even his teacher. Made it so special for C all the more. It became a celebration for all of them too! The kids surely let off all their pent up energy and excitement for summer!

C shooing off his classmates from having a go at his cake hahahaha Coz' seriously who can keep their hands off from this goodness! Thanks again sister for making this for C despite extreme nausea and fatigue from your pregnancy! It was delish!!! 

Boys going wild over such a simple game! Its really all about the company that makes parties special. Hoping to instill that on C!

Our beach trip was again an advance celebration! After much tears and frustration over not being able to book, everything fell into place. It was a lovely 2 day stay over at Pico Sands Hotel which I must say is very family friendly! It was such a special gathering since we haven't had a family trip for such a looong time! 

My lil gwapito ootd-ing !

Best part for C was having his cousin Rafa and the girls with him =)

Sandra having a go at the beach!

The day of C's birthday was also his first day at football club! And we capped it off with a dinner at Project Pie since he loves pizza!!!

All in all it was a great series of events! Hopefully a memorable one for our boy. I seriously do not regret having decided to do this for him instead of blowing off all that moolah for one huge bash that will only last for 1 day. I am glad he agreed with us too and saw the benefits of celebrating his birthday for several days instead!

To my dearest Carlos -Happy Happy Birthday! This boy has grown into this wonderful lil man, exceeding all our expectations. Thank you for being how you are! You make it so easy for your mommy and daddy. Your presence in our lives have made it all the more meaningful and worthwhile. Thank you too for straightening us out!!! WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS!!

***

much love

Special thanks to our sponsors! Our parents and siblings made sure we get to give C the best birthday ever. THANK YOU for helping us all the way! ;D

Mara's Cuaki-ly Ever After! A Bachelorette Party.

Sooo on a mad dash to come up with a witty title for our dearest friend's bachelorette - we came up with "Mara's Cuaki-ly Ever After". A play on her then fiancé's last name, what we thought was just funny then, actually made so much sense. 

Ironically we decorated the place for a bridal shower and had games and "entertainment" for a Bachelorette! All in all I must say I was so proud on how it turned out and everyone had such a fun time! 

Paper poms are a must! So cheap and so easy to do! Love how it can fill up a space yet appear airy and dainty at the same time. We had these in the closest shade of mint green as possible which is one of her wedding colors. =)

Cut out letters dipped in silver glitter! Mara loves here sparkles and glitter is the cheapest way to accomplish that! HAHA Of course if you do not mind it sticking all over too!

Dainty ribbons fo just an added depth to this sign =)

And of course this look won't be complete without the hanging frames on the wall!!! These frames are made of plastic so they are pretty light weight enough to just hang onto the wall with the string. Oh and we removed the glass too. 

Our loves notes corner is my favorite! Best idea from one of Mara's HS friends to have a jar filled with notes/letters/one liners for Mara. Decorated this area with flowers, candles and this cute white iron wrought birdcage. 

A Baby Shower for our Matteo!

We are so excited to welcome our Christmas baby boy Matteo! We threw a simple and intimate shower for our friend Kelly who is about to pop soon! She requested for blues and creams and that's just what I decided to play with for her decors =)

I am so happy to have come across these pretty wrapping paper that I found from Regina's in Shoppesville. Now I can execute these paper fans more nicely rather than just resorting to cartolina!

Simple and easy elements for our table setting! I just grabbed my Lantern from Regalong Pambahay, this owl from Dapitan and DIY'd paper pinwheels on baby food jar filled with buttons. 

For our dessert table, I placed the remaining paper fans, a teddy bear for that kiddie touch and a complimentary picture frame that announces "Matteo is coming to town!". An ode to a Christmas carol since he is a December baby.  Kelly's due date is actually on the 24th of December!!!

Of course we need to include the decor staple!!! Paper poofs in blues and teal! I added a different shade just to add dimension. 

My sister of THE SUCRERIE was the one who made this beautiful lemon cake! It was scrumptious as it was beautiful!

All the girls together for gift opening session!

We are getting pretty good at throwing showers haha Next one up is for our other dear friend Mara who we just found out is also having a BOY!!! Woot! To recycle decors or not??? HAHAHA

***

much love

A Fairy Garden Tea Party: Cassandra and Camilla turn 1!

This post is long overdue I know. I think it took me so long to organize my thoughts on how this entry ought to be. I have so much aspects of this that I want to share, from the planning to the actual execution of everything to how the party went. I want this post to be as helpful as possible to other moms out there who wants what's best that their budget would allow.  I am no expert. I will admit to that now. I still hope you guys will be able to pick up a thing or two. 

Tea Party for Two set up in front

On picking a Theme

I immediately knew that I wanted to do a Tea Party. My favorite pasalubong from my dad growing up was this pink tea set and this Barbie doll from my sister that she got from London that spews phrases in a Brit accent. "Let's have a tea party" Oh so posh right??? My initial plan matured into a Fairy Garden Tea Party theme during the planning process.  My sister was going to be doing my dessert spread and we both have this vision of how we want pastels and blooms for the cake and desserts.  Then I have the image of my girls in wings so they just got to be fairies in there too! We were overwhelmed by ideas that we wanted. The hard part was narrowing down the elements that we will include. Since the theme was abstract in nature, not concentrating on a cartoon character or a movie, it is important to keep the focus. Gladly after much deliberation, we were able to settle on colors and the elements that we will include.

On Decorations

What I like about conceptual themes is that the possibilities are endless! Again what you have to watch out for is having too much ideas that you want to execute. Think of your budget, time constraint, physical capability (if you have to do some DIY) and of course how they will look altogether! Choose areas that you will splurge on and which ones you are willing to compromise. I decided that I will concentrate my efforts on making my centrepieces. Each table had a green teapot I scored for php 50 each at Dapitan used as vase for pink roses, a mayo jar (we collected from other households) again as vase for alstroemeria and a picture frame from Regalong Pambahay showcasing Sandra and Lila's monthsary photos as table numbers. We also placed white cups with pink pretzels for snacking before we opened the buffet since we didn't hire food carts anymore.

What was such a challenge for me was thinking of what to do for the stage area. Gone were the days when we can easily just have a tarp printed and put two balloon standees on each side. What was a major challenge too was figuring out how to stick things without doing damage to the wall. I am so lucky to have Ycoy of La Belle Fete a cousin of mine and at that time, soon-to-be "boss", swooped in at the last minute and created my back drop. We used my divider at home and stuck butterflies as if they are a flutter. The effect is subtle yet simply stunning! We just topped it off with two huge portraits of the girls and placed topiaries to achieve the garden feel.

With Ycoy Sitchon of La Belle Fete and my sister dearest of Sucrerie

What we decided to splurge on are the food and entertainment. We hired a great magician/host named Alex through Bing Daza of Dazzling Celebrations. Our food was catered by Hizon's Catering and our dessert spread is by my sister. I am so lucky that she has added baking and cake designing on to her resume. Our dessert spread and birthday cake were made by her. Everything was wiped out in such a short time I wasn't even able to try any! Our sweets spread boasted of Neapolitan cake, vanilla lemon filled cupcakes, meringue bites, madeleines, and egg candy balls.

She conceptualized and made every single thing in this dessert spread!

I was already so impressed with this cake and this was before my sister took additional lessons to refine her craft.

And just to tie everything together and reinforce our theme, I asked my friend Sygryd of The Playground to design our invitation, food labels, stickers for the loot bags and the tea bag labels for the giveaways.  

A closer look on the labels designed by Sygryd of The Playground! She captured our theme perfectly!

To show our thanks to our guests we handed out teacup with tea bag tags and sugar cookies made by my sister of course!

Another nice touch would be for the celebrant's family to dress up in theme! I am so happy and proud my boys were also willing to look dapper for the day =)

My family say hi to you all!

All in all what is really important are the kids right? If I were to do things differently I would have sat back and relaxed more! HAHA I am always in a frantic frenzy during our events! I really wish I was able to take more photos with my kids and with our guests! At the end of the day we just really have to let it go and enjoy! 

***

much love

P.S 

To help you with your party planning!

Divisoria Mall and 168 Mall

The best place to score for prizes and small knick knacks for your loot bags. 

Tabora Street

For your crafting and DIY needs 

Dapitan

I scored my tea pots and tea cups here. They have a lot of ceramics, plates, cake stands and a whole lot more!

Regalong Pambahay

They have a warehouse along Pioneer where everything is 20% off.

Happy 6th Birthday C!

My eldest turned 6 already! I am still in shock I can no longer deny that I have a little man!!!

As I have previously ranted in my old post, this year's celebration for C was a simple one! I tried to interject a few things just to make it seem personal but failed miserably as I even forgot to buy balloons. Had to settled for DIY buntings and luckily my sister bakes and does cake decorating so he got an enormous cake and my mom and mom-in-law made quite a food spread too! 

All in all it was aces, most important part was the kid was overjoyed and in turn, so were we!

***

much love