The 6th

Nina tagged me.

I was asked to do the following:

1. Navigate to where you keep your pictures, select the 6th folder, and the 6th picture in that folder.

2. Then post it on your blog with an explanation of the story behind the picture.

3. Tag 6 other people to do the same, and make sure you let them know about it.

Here's that almost forgotten photo:


This photo was taken at the US Embassy on February 16, 2005. From left to right - my friend Yasmin Lao, former US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, former Philipine President Cory Aquino and Jose Torres, author of "Into the Mountain: Hostaged by the Abu Sayyaf." Yas was conferred the Benigno S. Aquino Fellowship Award for public service by the US government and I was so proud to have witnessed that. Yas founded the Al -Mujadilah Development Foundation which was a grantee of F-Foundation where I was Grants Administrator for almost 13 years.

I'll have to skip the last step as I am having problems with my keyboard. If you are so inclined, play the game and consider yourself tagged.

The Christmas Album (Partial)

I have to say I have been quite productive this month. At least, before I got addicted to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hour Glass. I haven't scrapped for almost a week, and I don't think I will be able to until I finish the game.

There is something to be said about working with theme albums. I didn't spend too much time rummaging for appropriate papers and embellishments because I have all of them in just one box. There is also that feeling of accomplishment, or at least that feeling that there is an end to all this. I can say, "I am caught up" at least, with the Christmases of my married life.

I call this my first generation Christmas layouts. First Gen because I used photos that had already been printed in 4x3 sizes which I rescued from my magnetic photo albums. It was hard to be creative with these sizes as there wasn't much room for cropping but am quite happy with the results. Mainly because now I have a visual chronicle of our family's Christmases past.

1997

First Among Many

1998

Christmas Three

Trim the Tree

The following layout was to be my entry to the AdThis wrapper and tag challenge but wasn't able to take a photo of it in time for the deadline.

Christmas Morning

1999

Sadly, I couldn't find this year's photos. I am hopeful it's one of those undeveloped film canisters in the drawers. Keeping my fingers crossed. Otherwise, it will be a layout without photos. Good thing I have some good memories of this year.

2000

Republishing - I actually finished these late last year.

Xmas 2000

Santa Baby

2001

M is for Merry Christmas

Have You Been Naughty or Nice?

2002 (not)
I thought the following photos were from the year 2002, when we moved to a new house. But when I checked my digital files, I realized to my horror that they were actually taken in 2003. I had to do some quick thinking to fix the title.

A New Home for Christmas

Thank God for acrylic paint, and the fact that we did have a new tree that year and voila! I simply had to change the journaling tag which was hung with a safety pin and not glued on. Otherwise, it would have been more work. Can you spot the differences? :-)

2003

A New Tree for Christmas

But Not Here...

I got to play with my new Quickutz dies and Martha Steward border punchers. The Christmas ribbons DH bought for me were put to good use, too. I particularly enjoyed making "A New Tree/Home" because I got to make my own background with ribbons and scraps. The best thing? I got to use really old stash. Remember those border strips from Craft Express? I hoarded quite a number of these from National Book Store way back when.

Now I have to make my Second Generation layouts using digital photos that are still stored in my laptop. I'm going to use sketches this time. And maybe go for spreads.

Thanks for looking!

Fabulous Addictions

First of all, I would like to thank Nina for this award. Thanks, friend.


And I received this award from Donna (thanks, D.)


She asked me to mention FIVE addictions and pass the award on to FIVE other fabulous blogs.

I am currently, as I breathe here and write, addicted to:
1) The Legend of Zelda The Phantom Menace (I can't scrap until I finish the game...grrrr....)
2) Chicken Biryani (so much so that I've actually searched for recipes online and am thinking of cooking it. Me? Cook? Yup. I've got it really bad.)
3) Twilight (still). Although not as bad as my son Diego who has downloaded photos and songs into his Nintendo DS, and is learning to play Bella's Lullaby on the piano.
4) American Idol now that Season 8 is on.
5) And last but not least, I will always and forever be addicted to chocolates. That is why I will never agree to be a vampire even if Edward Cullen begs me. I love human food too much. LOL.

I am awarding the above-mentioned awards to:
Manang Marissa
Diane
Marix
Jenn
Ching

Sending you some love, girls. Be well. And I hope you take the time to pass the awards on.

More History Lessons

January 6 is Tandang Sora's or Melchora Aquino's birthday. Last Tuesday was her 197th birthday. Tandang Sora was 84 years old when she put her life at risk by taking care of sick and wonded Katupuneros. Proving that gender and age are no hindrance to public service or in just doing good.

We pulled the KiDS from school to attend the inauguration of a shrine (click here for the article mentioning DH) dedicated to Tandang Sora's memory. When Sarah read the plaque on the monument, she exclaimed, "I know her! She's the one who gave food and medicine to the poor." Well, not quite, but at least she learned a bit of Philippine history that day. That was also the excuse we gave the school for their absence. Hehehe.


A bit of trivia which I heard from one of Tandang Sora's direct descendants. She was named Melchora after one of the Three Kings as she was born on the Feast of the Epiphany. It's quite obvious but I never really thought about that.

Date Movie with DH

What movie do you watch with a Philippine-history buff? What else but Mark Meilly's Baler?



Well, I must admit that there's more to it than that. I've lived with the story of Siege of Baler for years beginning when DH started researching on it for his historical mural now located at the Museo de Baler. And for the past two years, we've attended the celebration of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day (June 30) in Baler.



The Siege of Baler is a remarkable story of courage and loyalty amidst war. Watch the movie or at least read my review at my critical (LOL) blog.

Baler Beach

There is something about looking into the past to see where we are going.

December Recap

Oh well, it's late again, but that's the thing with Decembers, isn't it? You'd think time slowed down during the long holiday break, but no, everything seemed to move in fast forward.

I wasn't very productive scrapbooking wise. I missed Candy's Kaya - I had an idea in mind but wasn't sure how to execute it, and then time ran away from me, and before I knew it, it was the deadline. I was able to manage only one layout. The second of my Christmas layouts. I decided to move my self-imposed deadline for the Family Christmas album from December 25 to January 31. Why? Because to quote Tina Fey, I am the decider!!! Obviously, I spent New Year's Eve and most of the first day of the year watching 30 Rock re-runs.


Christmas was kinda incomplete. We visited my parents in the province last December 24 morning, had lunch with them, then had dinner with DH's parents here in the Metro. Thank goodness there wasn't much traffic. Wee hours of Christmas day, DH had to leave for L.A. on business. So that's were the sadness was coming from. He spent his birthday there and New Year on the plane. He arrived yesterday and with all the goodies he brought for me and the kiddies, it was Christmas once again.

As usual, I gave DH a list of scrapbooking stuff I wanted from Joanns and Michaels, but he diverted once again. He wasn't able to get me everything on my list (they were out of stock) but he got me other things I wouldn't have thought of buying, but I certainly could use. Sayang naman daw kasi, many things were 60% discounted. Love this guy. He even bought Girl Scout papers for my girls and KI puppy papers for Jasper. He must really love me. Either that, or he's saying I should scrap more. Faster even.

So why wasn't there much scrapping? Because there was alot of baking - cookies, cupcakes, more cookies, to give to friends and neighbors. My Kitchen Aid has never worked so hard.

Let me leave you with two Christmas layouts. The spread was for Kaya 19 and will go to our Family Christmas album - a work in progress.


I'm using old photos that have already been printed so I have to work with the available sizes and colors. But that's ok. I'm after writing down our Christmas stories, so the layouts need not be magazine-pretty.