Halloween Day 2012

I  have shown you almost my entire house for Halloween, I thought I should just share with you too what we looked like last Halloween!

My Son in his Jedi/Taun-taun Costume

He loves this so much! It was an inflatable costume that got him
super excited.

And here is me - MARGE SIMPSON!

All set to go!

Aidan with his Oompa-Loompa teacher Mrs. King

With 2 of his classmates - Peacock and Cowgirl

Here is me at work. Yes, I went to work wearing this and the KIDS LOVED IT!

Me and Pink Floyd fan Jill

Trick or treaters all set!



More trick or treaters all set to go

It was a fun-filled day and night! Lot's of candy and very eager kids running up and down the street trying to see who could get the most. If it wasn't for Aidan's costume mishap (the fan on his costume didn't work the whole day after the pictures were taken :-() , it would have been perfect.

But you know what? Come to think of it, only I was bothered by it, Aidan didn't mind at all! He had a blast - so maybe it was a 'perfect' Halloween day after all!!!

Have a Great weekend!

A Wedding to Remember

At the end of October, my family and I attended my cousin's wedding in Dallas, Texas.



Our family

My cousin Eleanor was already married to her husband Dunstan but they wanted the full enchalada of a wedding - done in a Catholic church,  complete with all the frills and thrills that first-timers go thru.



My cousin Eleanor and hubby Dunstan with kids Shannah and Ricoh

We were all excited to go and be with family again. Being immigrants in the U.S., relatives are not easy to come by, and we are blessed to be related to such wonderful people and know that WE are part of their lives as much as THEY are part of ours.

I did not know how much the entire clan was involved in the decorating of this momentous event. Ican't believe that creativity is alive and well in the family and I was lucky enough to help and see how my other cousin,  ATE MJ did her magic on the wedding reception decorations and planning..

The BRAINS of it all -
Ate MJ

Flowers on the cocktail table

With the direction of Ate MJ, I placed BEANS around the wet foam and just stuck the roses on them!

Simple Guest seating/guest book table

Don't you just love Sunflowers!

 Floral Table Centerpiece - all made by hand on the morning of the wedding by Ate MJ!

This is what the whole thing looks like...

In yellow..

 

in orange...

And with fishies inside!

See them now?!

The motif was yellow and orange or as I call it, "Citrusy Fall". These centerpieces were assembled using glass on the bottom and top, a tall vase in between and LED lights inside the vase with either colored-gel fillers or water and rocks. Take note too of the crystals hanging on the ends! Thesem out all together, looked simply stunning!

The boxes you see surrounding the centerpiece are the wedding souvenirs...

Simple Champagne glass to remember the day

Overall, the reception area looked like this...

Told ya' it's gorgeous

All the chairs and tables too had these yellow and orange fabric added by the family.

Something to welcome the wedding entourage to the dance floor

Cake Table - again flowers arranged by Ate MJ

Beautiful and yummy cake

But more important than these amazing decorations, was how fun-filled and festive the whole evening was for everyone! I think it really runs in our genes, our family REALLY knows HOW TO PART-E-Y!

First Dance of the Bride and Groom ending up in the " OPPA Gundam Style" dance number!!!

Not your typical "Father and Bride Dance" - they were dancing to the tune of "THRILLER"
by Michael Jackson!!! Steps, moves and all! My Uncle Rudy is in his 80's already!

 

It was truly a wedding to remember, not only for Eleanor and Dunstan, but for everyone who attended.

This was probably the BEST wedding I've ever been to (Ok, I'm a little biased :-))!

From start to finish, you feel the love and togetherness of the whole family - even when things were not going right (missing foam for the flowers  at 12 midnight.. wink* wink*).
 And that, I think, is what makes it unforgettable and worth all the time, money and effort in the end.

Congratulations again Eleanor and Dunstan!!!!

 

 

 



LOVE My Philippine Accessories!

 I have been C-R-A-Z-Y busy this week, as in CRAZY! Will tell you all about it later on.

Ok, a little break from decorating.


On our last trip to the Philippines, I had stumbled upon beautiful, native treasures that have upgraded my wardrobe.


Take a look at these finds!

Guess what it is..

Any Ideas?

Love these so much I bought it in two colors!

 I bought this at "Resorts World" in a Rustan's subsidiary shop called "Our very Own", a specialty shop which sells high-end native Filipino decor and accessories. These are actually necklace/sun-visor.

Yes, you read it right.  A sun-visor, this is what it looks like when worn...

ready to roam

The designer, Dita Sandico Ong is, according to  Asiastore.org  "had the vision to embrace an ecologically-friendly design and production process, transforming the use of banana, abacca and other natural plant fibers into a fashion art form, revolutionizing the Philippine natural fiber industry by providing communities in dying industries with more sustainable income and giving life to struggling cultural heritage.",  astounding talent and woman!

Gorgeous Bib Necklace!

This is another find at SM's "KULTURA" store. It absolutely made my humdrum top into something much more interesting, don't you think?!

Trying to be a model :-)

My third awesome find was something I bought at the "Powerplant Mall". It's from one of the small shops called "Cosmopolitan". I have been looking for a statement belt and I was very fortunate to find this... and ON SALE!

Simply beautiful

No pic of me wearing it but it is just stunning!

I also wanted to get my very own ARANAZ BAG. And luckily on our last trip,  I finally got one!

Wicker and Leather together?? Why not?!

The company's philosphy is summed up here...

" Creative use of materials, fine detailing and exquisite handiwork have since become synonymous with the ARANAZ name. Its mission is to showcase the many possibilities of indigenous materials the Philippines has to offer.  Proud of its rich Filipino heritage, an ARANAZ bag exhibits its thrust to de-ethnicize the ethnic. Known for juxtaposing native materials such as mother of pearl, coconut shell, & wood beads with sparkling crystals, stones, luxurious fabrics and leather; their creations boast of a unique artisan-like feel with pleasantly surprising details that make them ultra special. Imagine the elegance of mother of pearl, the roughness of coconut shell and luxurious crystals all merging under a hand sculpted wooden frame. They seek to interpret global fashion trends with the use of native raw materials and local techniques.  "

But other than this, they just make beautiful bags! Here are some more examples

Abanico2

Luna Bag

 Diaper Bag By Aranaz for Avent

So if you eve get a chance to visit my home country, make sure to check out and shop at these places!!!

Have A Wonderful Week!