We didn't throw Emma a party this year but when we asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she said she'd like to "go to the woods" and see her cousins at the beach. By the woods, she really meant Baguio, and the beach where her cousins live is at San Juan, La Union. The last time we went up north was three months ago so it was just about time we visited again. We spent a day in Baguio and instead of staying there for the night, headed down to LU where we stayed for three more days. The trip turned out to be really great! The weather was perfect. We got to catch up with friends. Read More
Vibrant La Union
After spending the entire summer in the city, it was truly wonderful to have been able to take a break and visit the beach a couple of weeks back when we went to La Union for Social Media Day Northern Luzon. Kayo was given the opportunity to participate by giving a talk on the current wave in social media. He decided to bring me and the girls along, stay the entire weekend and make a vacation out of it. Here are the colorful highlights of our trip and some new discoveries in our favorite surf town: Ridge To Reef Natural, eco-friendly and charming. These are how I Read More
A Weekend of Arts & Crafts at the Beach
I've heard it said somewhere before that one of the most effective ways to fuel your passion is to share it. The small craft workshops I hosted at San Juan, La Union over the weekend definitely did that. I've been on an arts and crafts high ever since (If you could call it that :P)! It happened at Flotsam & Jetsam Artist Beach Hostel, a place so relaxing and inspiring, it's very conducive to creative work and activity. I, together with another artist, Nikki Valenzuela, who is a very talented painter, put together several art workshops open to anybody interested. I, in particular, Read More
Create
Crafts can be a very calming and therapeutic activity. Even more so when done at the beach! On Feb 28-Mar 1, Flotsam and Jetsam Artist Beach Hostel is hosting a fun and inspiring arts and crafts weekend at La Union and I'm so excited cause I get to be part of it! I'm holding a 2-hour craft workshop where you can create a one-of-a-kind decorative mobile for your home, bedroom or any space at all using seemingly useless items, some paint, miscellaneous art materials and a dose of imagination. It won't be hard at all and anybody can do it, even kids! Aside from me, two other artists Read More
Summer and Dylan’s Beach Party
My little ball of sunshine, Summer, turned three last Saturday. The next day, Dylan, my nephew and Kayo's godson, also celebrated his birthday. And because these two special days fell on a long holiday weekend here in the Philippines, my in laws decided to make a family vacation out of it and take the celebration to our favorite beach in San Juan, La Union. It was a great idea! It was also something we've never done before because we usually just throw our kids' parties at home, so everybody was pretty excited about it. We put together a simple double birthday party last Saturday right at Read More
Holiday Snapshots
Kayo, Summer and Emma have all been sick the last week. So this weekend we really just stayed home and allowed ourselves to get the rest our bodies demanded. I'm very thankful that, today, everybody is doing a lot better. Summer and Emma are their playful selves again and are slowly getting their appetite back. So instead of posting weekend snapshots, I decided to share glimpses into the Christmas season that was and share our happy moments from the last few weeks. Christmas Day Christmas morning was probably my favorite part of Christmas! It's when we all gather together as a family for Read More
Seaside Blooms
I miss the glorious sea, the strong, salty breeze, and the tireless, raging waves. This is the painting I made one early morning at the beach last weekend during our family vacation in La Union, which you can read about here. It's my futile attempt at capturing the beauty of the beach just outside the house where we stayed in. I finally put finishing touches on it. Drawing and painting by the sea is such a relaxing activity. You experience an undeniable oneness with nature and an unspeakable serenity. At some point, it stops being about the painting and just becomes Read More
Weekend Snapshots: San Juan, La Union
I'm so happy to be back blogging! The site was down for a few weeks so I haven't had the chance to write about the craft projects I've been working on as well as the fun stuff we've been doing as a family. However, I've been diligent in writing about the things I want to share with you so expect a flood of posts within the next few days! To start with, let me share the most recent: our family vacation to our little paradise up north, San Juan, La Union. We drove up there with Kayo's family for the long weekend, to celebrate his mom's birthday and also to visit his brother, Kiddo, who Read More