Why I Still Believe in Santa Claus

I grew up in a household of "believers".

Me and my sibs were fortunate to have eager and well-meaning parents who raised us believing in Santa. 

I can still recall Santa's gifts to me particularly my most favorite - my "Day and Night Barbie doll"...

Still have this little beauty

.....and remember the huge Voltron Robot my brother got!

This guy brings back memories of Keith! Sigh!
Image from http://uatwblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/all-i-want-for-christmas-pt-2.html

 Yes, we wrote our letters..

we got our wishes...

http://www.clipartof.com/portfolio/bnpdesignstudio/christmas-gift

and we eventually discovered THE CABINET where "all the magic happens"...

Image from http://www.noddegamra.co.uk/man-finds-woman-living-in-closet/199/

 But despite all the skeptics I've encountered throughout my life, and of course, the "disappointment" I felt when I discovered the "magic Cabinet", I was determined to make my kids believe.. 

WHY you ask?

This is WHY...

"I can't believe it, I can't believe it!"

HAPPY-NESS

The happiness and genuine delight in discovering something on Christmas morning is just an awesome feeling! Imagine, a big old man in a red suit, took the time and effort to fly half-way across the globe just to bring you presents!!!!

 It was not about the present at all ( most of the time), it was about the the thought of someone magical giving it to me!!!

Just look at him!
Image from http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html

I still feel the giddiness I felt when I was little whenever I see my kids face light up on Christmas morning when they see the milk glass emptied, the cookies gone and the presents there- 

 that to me is where the real magic is!

We all believe in something that is beyond what we understand - be it GOD, Allah, or the Universe. And though we may not see these beings, we know they are there. And though I do not worship Santa, the magic he brings every Christmas is very special to me, as a "believer".

My kids have asked me all sorts of question about how things are made possible in one night. Especially my older one, he always wonders about how Santa does "his thing". 

And that wonder is what makes him write to Santa year in and year out, challenging him with weird requests (saber tooth tiger skull last year and for this year,  video games not yet released!), so that he may continue believing.

And you know what, even if he doesn't get his weird requests sometimes,  he is the one who manages to answer the questions for us! Simply Amazing! That is because I can feel, he wants to believe and continue believing in this great man!

So to all you "Smart ones" out there who still keep on insisting that SANTA IS NOT REAL, and who keep trying to convince us believers that "you know better".  Well, I say to you - heckle us all you want,  cajole us into Not believing all you want, but in end, you will not succeed!

Because SANTA CLAUS is not just a person to us,  he is the epitome of the magic and wonder of the Christmas season, and that to me, can NEVER be altered or changed by any smartie!

Have a Magical Christmas everyone!! HOHOHOHO!!!

FLASHBACK: Christmas 2010

The Christmas Decor in our Rented home in 2010

Holiday Crafts 1 - 2011

This holiday season I went very simple with my crafts, since we were going somewhere anyway for the big Christmas day, I went literally easy on my crafts. I used this....

Glitter wrap from Walmart

And came up with this...

Glitter-backed media center and shelves

Up close

another view

With oversized ornament

And this...

Glitter wall accent for my dining room

  I just taped it to the wall for instant pop of Holiday color and sparkle!!!

Being and feeling Girlieeeeee

Confession: although I say that I adore fashion and design from clothes, shoes, bags and home decor, I am truly a late bloomer when it comes all things BEAUTY - like salon stuff!

I only had my hair colored professionally once before ( I was in college already and it didn't make me look that good, and that is probably why I didn't do it again for a long time - let's just say that brown hair didn't suit me at all that time :-) ) and that is why, getting highlights for the very first time, made me giddy all over!

And so last Thursday, on my 1/2 day off, I went to see my NFF/hairstylist Gina, and we went ahead with the plan: color my crown of glory and add some oomph into my lackluster-always- been- black hair. I emphasized, please nothing too drastic or shocking like this...

So not me - yet! :0

I was thinking something like this...

From Instyle magazine

Haaah! Fat- chance! I can dream can I?! Being the Asian "beauty" that I am, I knew this was reaching for the sky, so I did not mention JA-look to her. And so I let her do her thing and left my hands into her experienced colors and toners, and ended up with this...

From my camera

Ok, I don't wanna show the whole me yet, but so far, the "reviews" have been positive. Even my patients noticed ( and when kids notice your hair in a positive way, it means it's really good - I think :-))!

Anyhow,  and since I was feeling really girly (as the title says) I also had my nails done! It' called Shellac - don't ask me what it is exactly, all I know is that it's gauranteed to make me addicted to this thing and will make my nail polish last fah-ever, so I said, " go ahead Mandy, make my day!" And this is how it looks...

Not bad...

Not bad at all...

After 4 hours of aluminum foils, UV lights and whatever chemicals shellacked on to me, I feel like a " new " me!

I guess, a girl needs to be pampered once in a while, or rather, Shellacked once in a while!!!!


Have a fabulous day Dah-lings!

Christmas Mantle/Fireplace 2011

Confession: I really DON'T like our fireplace.

When we bought our house, we loved almost every bit of it, but not this part. It was just not our style. Brick and glass blocks are just not like tea and honey together for us. But anyways, we're stuck with it until we have enough budget to demolish or renovate it eventually.

So this holiday season, since I have always wanted to hang stockings on the mantle, I decorated it. And this is how it looks....

Pwede na...

Added geo-mesh and ribbon same as in the Tree

Add caption

I added my small mercury glass collection and placed my dollar store reindeer stocking holders. The wreath is from "Michaels" bought back in 2006. The stockings were from "the Land of Nod" on clearance bought years back. The only new thing is the monogram pins from Target.

I guess with the big plus of being able to hang our stockings, the fireplace ain't that bad after all. But then again, I have BIG plans for this part of the house. 

Have a happy Christmas everyone!

Thanksgiving Table - Grown-up style

Like I mentioned in my previous post on our friends in Chicago came to visit us for this important holiday and I really wanted to make things extra-special for them and of course for my family. 

You already know my Dining room was all set-up for this occassion, so now all I did was add on the dinnerware and the cutlery. Here it is pre-dinner...

All Ready!

I added ponsettias for some fresh flowers and greenery since my table was already jam-pakced! I folded the napkins following this super simple instructions on how to do the Diamond fold.

Glistening...

I used my HSN Jonathan Adler glasses  & silverware and added a Champagne flute for you know what.   I used paper placemats I brought from Horchow on clearance for $9 for 50 pcs.

All Set!

Sample Setting

I used my plain gold lined dinnerware I bought from Walmart 2 years ago. Along with the red chargers I've had since 5 years ago. The reindeer place card holders were actually photo holders from Kohls I bought last year!

The finishing touch - FOOD!!!!

Our menu consisted of : Rice, Pancit palabok, Baked salmon, Honey-baked Ham, Lechon Kawali, Kare-kare, Cranberry relish and of course stuffed turkey!!

Desserts

Dessert consisted of Pumpkin pie, cream puffs and Brazo de Mercedes

YUM!

I eventually had to remove the centerpieces to make room for more important stuff... :)

The hosts - Me and my handsome hubby!

All ready to partake our feast!

At the end of dinner, we made our Thanksgiving souvenirs - I started this last year, basically it's an ornament filled with all of what each member of our family is thankful for. I just got glass ornaments from Hobby lobby and printed out the paper to write our "Thanks" and stuffed them inside the ornament for each family! :)

Hope you all had a festive thanksgiving!!!!!

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Kids Thanksgiving Table

We had a wonderful time last Thanksgiving with our friends from Chicago visiting and staying over. The kids had their own table set-up and we the mom's served as their servers!

Placemat from whateverdeedeewants.com

I printed our these placemats for some kiddie fun. Found them on pinterest and the link for the placemets is here.  I only had it enlarged at the copier center.

Ready for the little ones

I set-up the table in our eat-in kitchen. Used my "unbreakable" corelle plates and added crayons on each side so they can play with their mats. I used Blue dots napkins from Ikea as an accent. I also added my old wicker table cover from Walmart.

I used mini-wine glasses I bought at our local goodwill for 50 cents each! The kids loved them so much that one of the kids asked if he could have one and take it home! I gladly obliged!

I added their hand-written place cards so everyone would know where to go. 

The Menu consisted of : Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Spaghetti, Pumpkin pie and Cream puffs, Chocolate cookies, and of course, turkey with gravy!!!

The centerpiece was also an idea I got from Pinterest, and here is the Link on how to make it! I only substituted the melon in the guide for pumpkin - just thinkin' that pumpkin' is more into this season than anything (plus, I had lots of those on display outside!)! My friends helped me make this lovely bird...

"my assistants" busy at work

Tada!

We really had a hard time trying to keep the kids hands away before dinner started! :)

Kids busy with coloring or  filling their plates!

So cute!

Hope your Thanksgiving was marvelous!!!!!!

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