Miss these girls...

It's been a long while since we last saw each other. Though there are  twitter, flickr and blogs to keep us connected to everyone almost everyday. Yes, I mean, we talk almost everyday, share pictures everyday. We weren't able to match our schedules for a christmas get-together and a summer outing. We ended up meeting after few months to celebrate the birthday of June celebrants (I'm actually one of those) and also throwing Joy and Abie a baby shower. It was a quick Sunday afternoon in Conti's greenbelt. We are a growing family, I must say. There are a lot of kids and indeed, they were even noisier than the mommies.

Some pictures...

It's been a year...

Yes, we are almost celebrating our 1st year in our dream house. It's our first year of celebrating happy memories from what we have built in our home.   The kids love our area. We adore our location being near to other major cities.  I love our community. The amenities inside the village is just superb. In fact, I have recommended to few friends and I'm glad that one of our closest friends is able to get a property next to our street. They are already building their dream house as well and we are very happy for them. In just few months, they are moving close to us already and we are excited. My friend is already asking me to assist them during their move. I told her to start packing those unnecessary items on their current place and probably just let go of it. But she's a very sentimental person like me that she would probably keep most of the items. Now, she is actually checking some self storage companies available from the net. She was able to compare some companies already based on what is available on her local area. She started reserving for few space for her boxes already.  In no time, we would be neighbors!  I can't wait!

Help for a Friend...

A friend is actually asking for reference for some seniors housing Seattle. They need assistance for their grandfather who have been diagnozed with Alzeimer's Disease. I can imagine how hard it could be for them to be in such situation. They really would want to help their grandfather but they also need assistance on how to manage him. My friend have been making a lot of research about the disease as well and I know that her family can only do much. They still need support and assistance. I told her that she can try to check local community boards as well for information as I am sure there would be. Although I know there is a website which collects information on senior housing providers across America. I saw somehow that they do have options and providers listed on the following: for adult family home, residential care, alzheimer's living, independent living, skilled nursing, and of course nursing home. I think they have a good list of seniors housing New York as well seniors housing in Los Angeles so I am pretty sure there's also data for Seattle.

Reunions...

Don't you just love Facebook because you get the chance to reconnect with friends? I do! I really love the fact that I have reunited with most of my long lost friends. Last December, got the chance to bond again with my high school friends. Our 2nd get together in two months. This time, my very good friend Tiny-, way back in 1st year high school (who happens to be the wife now of Paco Arespacochaga) was in town and another dear friend Amor is leaving the country to get married in the US.

We reminisced good times together. Those lousy moments we've had and how pathetic we could be back then. All were for good laughs.

It's just a happy thought to be with your old-time friends!

Get together with High School Friends...

last saturday was a blast! It was the same good friends who are fun to be with!!! We had dinner in CPK in Shangrila Mall. I so enjoyed that night especially with lots of stories from each other to tell and even some revelations of the past! harharhar! Blast from the past! We had fun recalling all those years we were together, our teachers, our activities and even our crushes!!! Those were the days!

And much more, there was a wedding proposal that happened the same night to one of our friends while we were in Starbucks for coffee after dinner!

Oh, and I witnessed two wedding proposals that day. The first one was during the Jollibee Birthday party of Bela. I so love both proposals! So spontaneous and unexpected! I hope to become their wedding planners too! Lol!

As for the get together with high school friends, we hope to do it again!!!! I suddenly miss these people a lot!

Party last friday...

Went to 1Esplanade to celebrate with Tita Jet Versoza (Josiah's Catering owner) for her 50th birthday. Guests were asked to come in black. It was a great party. Of course, food was superb! And I had a great time with friends. I almost fell on my chair when my friend, Marex came in and sat on our table! I never thought he was really going to wear that! He said he was a little bit in costumey! Yeah, complete with mask!

Here are few pictures...

Pictures from last weekend...

We had a blast! A fun, fun weekend. Started off with Animal Farm tour by some, which we weren't able to do since we arrived late. We headed to the basketball court for the daddies game. After 30 minutes, the dads were giving up but reservation was set for an hour so they had to finish the game. Then afterwards, a sumptuous buffet lunch were awaiting us by the pool side. The kids can't wait any longer so they went to swimming right away. While the mommies had few chats and numerous picture-taking! Then some decided to take the cable car while we joined others for the the fishing. Too bad, we didn't catch any but thanks to the Yaya of Jane who were able to catch atleast one for us.

It was almost 8pm when we went done. We weren't able to join the rest for the dinner anymore as the kids were so sleepy and tired already. I was also concern that the ultimate "daddy" went playing basketball, swimming, fishing with the kids and then still in-charge on driving us back home. But gladly, we arrived safely.

It was a great saturday! I hope we could repeat it!

2 nights to go...

literally and the much-awaited MBAP outing will happen already in Tagaytay Highlands. I was suprised when I opened my yahoo account this morning with a number of emails regarding the plans for Saturday. I hope all our plans would push through and that the weather would cooperate on us. We have saved for this a long time and so we want a definite success of this get-away. You wouldn't want to know how much we are spending for this trip even if its just a day tour. Thanks to our writing abilities and the hot-mommas can afford to throw in a fab-getaway for our families. We even have a line-up activities for the daddies!  In line with this, the husband is thinking on what car to bring since it would be in TH. The steep road going there would probably need an able car. Good thing, we do not have a problem with our able CRV. We had the Air conditioning compressor fixed already last week. Although, we are going in a colder weather than Manila, it would be very hard to travel especially with kids without an A/C inside the car. And my hair, gosh, it cannot stand the wind!  lol!  We didn't go wrong in finding the complete parts and accessories from an auto airconditioning company online that offers free shipping and warranty.

Do I look drunk?

These pictures taken last monday as I headed out to MCafe in Greenbelt to hang-out with friends. A friend coordinator from Cebu was here in Manila so we made sure to bring her out since she was generous also to bring us around the last time we were in Cebu.

Gee, the rockstar drink from MCafe is so good! But after just a glass, I was all red!




Enough partying this week.  Had a another one last wednesday for the launch of Beautiful Weddings Magazine of Wedding Essentials.  Oh and I'm so glad because three of our previous weddings are featured on that issue.  (Reyes-Platon Wedding, Navarro-Puno Wedding and De Leon-Ochoa Wedding). Plus I also have a write-up of the most memorable wedding we have for this year. 

(shamless plugging!)

Last Saturday...

I attended a coordinator's friend last sunday. It's so nice to be a guest sometime in a wedding. And to our friend Berlyn, she took off a different hat this time, as a bride and not the coordinator.

I'm proud of my make-up...did it myself! BE flawless!

With Liza

With Marex and Nenita

PAWP representatives for the wedding of Berlyn (me, Nenita, Liza, Marex)

We all had good drinks that night!

With my co-parents...

Celebrated my bday with my co-parents from the previous school of Margaux. It was our get together as well in the place of AA as we won't all be together anymore this coming school year. Most of us moved to big schools, but others still stayed. It was nice to meet them again. I hope this won't be the last even if our kids are not classmates anymore. We have built our friendships already.

AA with Allie who recently gave birth, me and Margaux, Nile, Myra. There were two other moms who weren't in the picture.

And AA gave this beautiful cake for me. Ofcouse its beautiful cause it has my face on it!


And I also made some money this afternoon, had a mini-garage of my old clothes and from the kids, few bags that are not used already. Wow, I made about 2K all in-all! Nabawi ko ang pinanglibre sa kanila! Hahaha!

After Visita Iglesia

We went to a friend's farm after doing our Visita Iglesias last Holy Thursday to churches located in Tagaytay and Tanauan, Batangas. The kids have fun playing with all the animals in there, while me and Dicky enjoyed a lot the food prepared by the hosts. It wasn't fasting at all. It was fast eating. Hehehe.

Here are some pictures:

Dicky and Margaux feeding the ducks

Bianca doesn't want to go down with the ducks :-(

With Jon, our host, also Bianca's ninong

Playing with the horse

Bianca loves the dog instead.

Busy playing with Sam

Lounging around the grass

Some nice gifts...

I fixed my cabinets yesterday. It's a great achievement for me. Clap, clap, clap. But more than that I then I remembered some nice gifts I got last christmas...

Oktomat Camera (Lomocamera) from Jason Magbanua. The man, by the way, recently won an award again. He's one great person, one great friend. He influenced me to go for lomography. Apprently, I haven't been hardcore yet with this hobby but will try to post some of the pictures I took before. With this oktomat, each picture will capture 9 figures in one shot. Isn't it cool?

Kenneth Cole Black wallet from Madge Lejano. Love it. Love the many pockets inside to put all my cards. I just haven't changed my wallet yet, but I do intend to do so soon. Madge is a very good make-up artist and I have high regard to her work. It's always fun working with her team during events.

This is what I'm reading currently. Well, I just started last night. Thanks to my good friend Grace who sent it to me from the US. Grace was my bride before. I did their wedding. She's been very good to me and I really consider her as a dear friend. The book is about 10 essentials for achieving success as you manage a business. It talks about Martha's realization, her learnings while in prison. It's a good book.

(Pardon the blur of the picture). A personalized notepad with our names (dicky and jody liwanag). This came from John and Benz Rana. It's one of my favorites. Got the same thing before from Jong of Write Impression but it was just my name. I find this gift very useful, especially on the nature of my job. I'm just so proud carrying it around.

I'm grateful about the above things but more than that, I'm grateful for the friendships from these people.

Lovely life with friends around...

Backtrack: Tagaytay Trip (December 20, 2007)

Reunited with good friends, (a kumare) from Sydney, Australia, Cheann and her husband Manny. We fetched them early thursday morning that day and headed out to Tagaytay. It feels so good to be in company of old friends. We just enjoyed the whole trip to Tagaytay despite the traffic in SLEX and we don't run out of stories to tell.

We had lunch in Sonya's Garden. Suprisingly, Sonya's was full for lunch but it was wise of me to make an advance reservation. I still love Sonya's. Love the salad of course!

We wanted to have our massage, unfortunately, they were fully booked. Sayang! :-(

So we just headed out to Bag of Beans for more talks and some coffee...

It was a fun day, catching up on each other. We are missing them again. Hope we can visit them in Australia some time.

I'll be missing a friend...

I will truly be missing a very dear friend...

Just came from a merienda coffee date that ended up until after dinner with my dear friend Tina. Tina and I met in Weddings@work when we were preparing for our own weddings about 6 years ago. We became friends even after that and our friendship even grew better. She became my alter ego for wedding coordination, heading my 2nd team. She in fact did more weddings than me last December 2006. I really appreciate all her help to me with the business. She did a great job especially during those times that I gave birth to my 2nd daugther Bianca.

But furthermore, she is indeed a very good friend. We call each other "sister" but now "mare" because she is one of Bianca's godmothers. I can talk to her anything under the sun, not just about the business, but my everyday life. She's the kind of friend that you can pull whenever you need someone to talk to about your dissapointments, your wishes, your feelings and emotions or just to hang around with you. I get to share to her everything about the kids and even though she wasn't blessed with one yet, she always has some good words to say to me after.

She is leaving already for New York very soon. I truly respect her decision and I'm behind her for it. When she got off my car a while ago, tears fell on my cheeks. And as of this writing, can't help but cry. I am a bit sad that she is leaving. I will miss my friend. I will truly miss her.

"Mare, I pray that the Lord may keep a close watch over you always. It will
definitely not the last time we will see each other. May not be here in Manila
anymore, hehehe. We will visit you in New York hopefully. Take care of yourself
there."

Look at her picture above, isn't she pretty there? She's so reliable talaga cause I just convinced her out that time to become my model when I was training to become a make-up artist! Talking about being a friend who's always there for you.