Subject: Bike

19 February 2012 I walked around downtown this afternoon taking pictures of bikes. The weather was very erratic - it rained, snowed and the sun came out in between - but I wanted to get this done today. It was quite an experience since I was alone; a woman on a mission. I was not (still am not) feeling all that great physically - I got the flu - but I still enjoyed my time out even though my head was foggy and I was sniffling every couple of seconds.





































My music all afternoon was A Fine Frenzy's 'One Cell in the Sea' and 'Bomb in a Birdcage' on shuffle. Her music reminds me of spring and summer although the lyrics aren't really happy, the music itself is - which is why I like it.

All About Hearts

14 February 2012

Monthly Swap

06 February 2012 One of my creative projects this year is to do one swap every month to bring back some love in the mail. Bills and ad folders aren't as attractive as it once was - when being an adult and being responsible felt like a novelty then. It's been a while since I got regular surprises in the mailbox from people around the world - I thought it's time to bring it back.



This past weekend I got my first sunshine in the mailbox! The parcel from Alenka, my January swap partner, was filled with 10 items of cuteness as it was the theme of our swap. I got a few of her handmade goodies, a Hello Kitty booklet with pictures and stories and stickers in it, pens, stickers, chocolate and stationery. It was a pretty nice loot. ^^



This is what I sent her wrapped in my new Tilda wrapping paper that I have been wanting to use since December. I thought some spring colors would bring her warmth in this cold Dutch winter.

This is what's inside the parcel:


1. Deco tape 2. Noodoll bookmarks 3. Mini playing cards 4. Mushroom & cake buttons from my stash 5. Re-ment Donut set 6. Noodoll pocket notebook 7. Cake recipe book 8. The tea party page off my sticker book from kikki K. 9. Cute mini post-it notes 10. Grape (or raspberry) flavored candy

I love putting gifts together for people. I also love the whole experience of finding the perfect present, and then wrapping it up prettily. It makes me giddy like a kid; like I'm the one receiving it. Then comes the joy of knowing they like it and that I somehow made them happy makes it all worthwhile.

Winter Wonderland

05 February 2012

We eat breakfast together in the weekends as it is the only time we get to be together in the morning. I try to be more creative with cooking and presenting it that makes it look pretty. I am learning. :) When it's not raining, we go out for walks in the park where we let Maya play and run, and I get to roam around a bit to take pictures. When it is raining, we have tea and cake in our favorite bagel place or spend the day indoors rolling on the floor while Maya commands us what to do. She's the boss in the weekends, mostly.

This afternoon we went for a short walk in the snow after Maya woke up from her nap. It's not snowing at the moment but there's still some left on the grounds from the days before. Forecast says it might snow tonight and tomorrow. More snow means more afternoon playing in it and mornings watching the snowflakes fall from the warmth of our seat by the window.



Winter finally came in all its glory. The temperature dropped last week to below freezing point with wind chill that came down to -10 to -15. This is the coldest winter I have yet experienced since I moved here, but it wasn't too bad because snow finally graced us with its presence. The grounds were blanketed in white and people were out playing in the snow. Snow is a novelty here as it doesn't come often during winters. It has been quite sunny, too, the past days. I don't mind this kind of cold as long as it's light outside and not somber.



Yesterday, we went out with M&M for a sort of double date while the kids stayed over at their grandparents'. It's been a long time since we did something like this so it was a nice break from the mundane. We braved the cold and walked in the snow for an hour on our way to (and back from) this Malaysian restaurant called Kampong Kita we wanted to check out. We did the all-you-can-eat buffet where you can choose from the grill, wok and the ready-cooked meals on the buffet tables. The ambiance was cozy and it was quite busy for a Friday night, so if you're in the area and you want to go there, I would suggest to make reservations first. The service is relatively good and the wait staff is friendly. They also have a good assortment of dessert. I would give the restaurant 4 stars out of 5 as we enjoyed the food there very much.

That about sums up my weekend besides a few surprises I will share in my next posts. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend wherever you are!

Hello January

31 January 2012

It's been an interesting month for me. It's a preview to my whole year actually. New beginnings. Fresh starts. New year's resolutions. It's a year of rebirth for me in many ways. January envisions all the things I want to do and accomplish this year so I'm off to a good start.

Aside from fulfilling my responsibilities as a full time mum and wife, I am also going to find myself this year. I am going to give myself some focus. I'm not going to enumerate my resolutions but they can be summed up in these words: simplify, explore, passion, inspire, learn, self, discover and flourish. I guess now that my age is almost off the calendar, I feel the need to be more - whatever that entails for me and my life.



I have decided to immerse myself to things that make me come alive, that inspire me, that light up that fire within, that bring out the passion for life and dig out the dreams I used to have. I have decided to stop sitting in the back seat and take control. I am making things happen one choice at a time.

I am excited for what this year has in store for me and I am going to share my journey in this blog.

What's your year going to be like?

Halloween Party

02 November 2011 This year we celebrated Halloween for the first time with a couple of friends. It's not a big thing here in the Netherlands but we decided to start a tradition and a little fun - this way we have a reason to be childlike, look silly and get together without feeling crazy even for a day.



Everyone really looked great, if I say so myself. For first timers, we did pretty well. I was the only one who didn't look creepy or undead. So this picture is pretty much Snow White and her seven creepy friends. The irony isn't lost on me, however. I'm the dwarf among them all as I am the shortest.
















It was a fun night. No scary stories; just sharing lives and tales over food and wine.

Of Daydreams and Beaches

19 October 2011

I'm not really much of a beach person although I lived most of my life in a tropical country where beaches are some of the main attractions and are sought after by tourists. I remember going to beaches with family a lot when I was younger. It became less when we all lived in different cities; except for when I attended uni and spent weekends with friends on some islands in Cebu. Then I moved here to the flatlands where summer (what summer?) is mostly the time you go to the beach and enjoy the sun, sand and waves if there are any. It is always swamped with people, which is why I only ever went to the beach here once (9 years ago?) and actually wore a bikini. I hid under the big umbrella while my companions laid on their towels under the sun for hours to tan. And, yet, I still went home browner than they ever could be. It is always a source of entertainment every time we went away as they all sunbathed and I stayed in the shade, though I remembered a few times when I actually joined them and they made fun of me, joking that I must not be feeling well which I took in stride and secretly gloated as they admired my color after only a few hours.

So when we go back home for a holiday, I always make sure we spend time at the beach. The last time we did which was early this year, we had a family reunion. The guys decided to ride a banana boat and since there was one spot left and no one else wanted to come with, they asked me to join. I remembered the boat toppling over as I sank under water laughing and gasping for breath. It was one of the funnest and funniest things I have done this year. We were tears-run-down-your-cheeks-and-sides-hurt kind of laughing, screaming, bouncing and holding on for dear life while everyone else on the beach watched in mixed amusement and trepidation. I want to experience something like that again.



I find myself daydreaming a lot about the beach lately as it is getting colder and somber with the change of season. I imagine dipping my toes in the sand, listening to the crashing of the waves on the shore, looking over the horizon where the sun rises and sets, building sand castles, taking long walks along the beach with the water around my feet, combing the shores for shells and smooth flat pebbles in various shapes and colors, and lying on a hammock underneath the stars and the sky. It is one of my favorite happy places.