Weekend snippets

It's been a great month. I've been reviewing my August 2012 folder and just realized how awfully busy I was this month!
I organize all my files and photos in my laptop by months. That means all projects, photos, and whatnots.
I love this system because it works as a sort of file journal so I can keep track of my timeline and productivity per month.

Been organizing my August 2012 folder and realized this has been a great month! We rounded it up with a nice weekend getaway, just us three.

It was only our third time in MOA!

We had our lunch at Highlands Steakhouse.

Hunter, patiently waiting. =)

Baked Scallops to start off. Yum, yum, yum!

Cream of Mushroom that I didn't get to finish...

My Prime Rib Steak, half of which Paolo ate himself. :/

Paolo's order which he ate everything himself. :/

After walking it off for a while, we headed straight to our hotel. Midas is fast becoming a favorite.

Hunter marking his territory. How can someone so tiny take up most of the bed space? 

Staycation! Hours and hours of doing nothing and snuggling with family. 

Sushi date night. Its Japanese Buffet at Yanagi.

Picture check!

My fave! I love their Beef Sukiyaki.

Big guy on his high chair. 

Family Dinner. Even Hunter is eating with us. ;/

Next weekend, can't you come any sooner?

***

Been watching the ANC Special for Jesse Robredo. 

I really don’t have much choice because that’s all Paolo watch and talk about these days. 

Coming from a family who has been in the politics for such a long time, his father was part of the Liberal party, I think this really affected him.

But what I didn’t expect was how much it would affect me as well. I never felt so much regret and sadness for a politician’s passing, save of course with my father-in-law, Mayor Boy Yason’s.

Such great loss.

Sometimes when we are loss for words in coming up with an explanation or reason for a tragedy (as if there ever was a reason) we always say, “It’s God’s plan.”

Personally, I feel this time somehow, it really is.

Because this tragedy reminded us all what could be.

How much greatness our nation and us, as people are capable of.

It’s so amazing how much inspiration we derive from a tragedy, from a nation’s grief. It only goes to show us how ready we Filipinos are for a change. 

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!

To my two readers, hehe.

If you are one of them, you may have noticed I haven't been blogging regularly. As I've written days ago, I'm more active now in Instagram, although my profile is in private.

Anyway, life has been busy the past few days. My baby just celebrated his "half year" birthday

with a really, really yummy cake from Parvati! Its a cross between cheesecake and Brazo de Mercedes, so you can just imagine how sinful it is.

Last weekend, we spent a night with all of Hunter's cousins in his Papa's side. Too bad we weren't able to get hold of all the kids for a photo op but I just can't resist posting his pictures with his Twin Cousin, Tacio.

Lock up your daughters!

So excited for another long weekend. We have so many plans and I promise to post more entries this time!

This photo is just so inspiring for me.

I want this book! Holly Becker is one of my favorite designer bloggers ever. Check out her blog. 

I’ve always been maternal, as my best friend attests.

In retrospect, yes I can say I am. Not just because I know how to take care of babies and kids...

But because I know how to make each child feel special. I think that is the most important thing.

I have two nieces who are only a year apart and I took care of Cheska more than I did of Yanca.
I love all my sisters with all my heart, though admittedly I am much closer to Cheska’s mommy, I make sure my nieces will never feel as if they aren’t loved equally because they are both special in different ways and I will not miss any of that for the world.
 I thoroughly enjoy being an aunt to all of my nieces and nephews.

My girls! Yanca in Orange and Cheska in a flower dress

I guess this stemmed out from how I felt growing up. I never felt as equally, say, cared for when I was younger by my paternal aunts. Maybe because of the age gap, my cousins were much older than I was or maybe because we grew up far from them.

 But I remember feeling as if I was an outsider visiting my aunts while my much older cousins see our same aunts as their parents as well.
I learned early on that one of the worse things you can do to a child is to make him feel you don't care for him because you favor someone else and I'm learning now that one of the worse things you can do to a parent is make her child feel left out. 

I do regret being not being as close to them. I thought when I was younger, preferences in the family is unavoidable. Maybe we weren’t just as loved the same way because they already have their “favorites.”

It is only now that I’m an adult and have a bigger family, I realized, Love doesn’t run out. Our hearts just get bigger.  

I only hope I can teach that to Hunter. I cannot shield him from feeling that way someday from people. There will be times he would feel rejected, or not as loved or accepted but as long as he is true to himself and know that he has a loving family, it is okay.
Yes, baby it is alright.

I like to think that when I became a mom, I became a better person. I’ve always thought I’ll be one of those mama bears who come rushing to their babies each little whimper but I’m not.

That is because I know in my heart he needs someday to face heartaches, rejections and failures to make him the person that he is supposed to be.

You are so loved, Hunter. Remember that. 
We do miss everyone back home, yes home is in Chicago and I'm sure they miss you too, big guy.

Sunday senti

Today I felt like what most parents feel when they see their children go through a milestone in life.

Today I felt that inexplicable pride and joy as if I'm the only parent in the world and my child is the only person who goes through those life-changing moments.

Today I also felt that feeling on the other side of the coin, that feeling that always comes with those exhilarating highs: that sadness, that bittersweet feeling knowing that each milestone is a moment he is becoming more independent, he is becoming his own person, apart from me.

Today I felt what most parents feel during their children's graduations, weddings...






Today, Hunter's first tooth came out. 

*Sigh.

I will definitely miss those gummy, toothless smiles. Though I will never see that gummy smile once again, I look forward to giving him his first solids; witnessing his first steps; watching his eyes light up with his first cookie and more, more firsts in the world. Our world. =)

Oh, how I love you, little guy.

Good morning!

I am so happy to see the sun shining after days of gloom. Rainy seasons now make me a bit nervous.

I used to love it when it rains, but seeing how destructive it can be last 2009 when our house in Kingspoint got flooded, I saw and experienced firsthand how hard it is for other Filipinos who have to endure this every year.
Our house is supposed to be our sanctuary. I watch the news and realize how really resilient we Filipinos are, that I am thankful for.

As for us, we are all cozy and safe in our little place in P8. I was supposed to post photos of some house projects I did but because of what happened, I will move that down for the time being.

Since I'm done with my house projects and will just resume back after the rainy season, I've been busy with my little shop and some new projects that I'm excited to share. =)

I'll be posting more soon after I take nice photos. I've been obsessed lately with Instagram and is more active there than in my blog or other accounts.
Hopefully though, I'll be able to get some decent me time to organize this blog I have been neglecting for weeks.
Stay safe and dry!

I'm on Instagram

Add me up: ysacharmedlife
=)
 I'll post more photos there since this blog is more for verbal diarrhea  lengthy posts.

Charmed Life

I've been writing how busy I am the past few days but its not due to my little jewelry business.
I do miss being really busy all day with my bead works but because of the baby, the house and everything else in between, I can't do as much as before.
 I still accept orders and I have help for bulk order like party favors and weddings but I still have so many plans left on hold for now. :/

I saw this and thought how funny and true.

I'm happy though that I'm almost done with my new little office nook.
Next week, I'll get on with my plans. I feel re-energized. =)

House Updates

I have blogged several weeks ago how I wanted a new cream sofa. Something that's much more apt for our tiny receiving room.
Several weeks later, I have this clean, cream piece.

Its actually a reworked piece from our old sofa set. I had a it scaled to a more appropriate size for our living room, re-stuffed and reupholstered. I requested for a very clean yet plump design that means no buttons, no extra tweakings and details.

This one I love, it looks a bit lumpy on the photo, but its actually very comfy. I had this made initially fro my office area hence the color but decided that it will look better in Hunter's play area. I imagine it will be our Giant cuddle chair for afternoon readings. =)

I hope to be done with Hunter's playroom this weekend.

This one's my favorite. Breathing new life to your old furniture set isn't really as hard.
I don't have a before photo of this coffee table set but the wood used to have that dated cherry brown coloring with floral (yikes!) fabric.
I had it repainted and stained to a brown-black glossy shade, a bit darker than Wengue. I find this shade makes everything look more modern.

I chose a Grey Blue thick fabric to replace the old one. I love it! I think I'll be using this in the afternoons answering emails since its just a few paces away from my office nook.

Hello, Hunter!

I had to stick to classic, clean styles which translates to boring for others but I'm working on an old house with old furniture.
That means working on what we already have. I think the interesting part about these little projects is the fact that we are a young couple, a young family working on a fixer upper, an old house with old things and with a history that I'm a big part of.
I still want to hold on to some elements that made this house my home when I was little and just breathe in a few things that will update everything else.
More updates soon! =)

Hello, August

I'm sorry for the lack of updates.
 I'm trying to be on top of many things right now: a teething 5 and a half-month-old baby coupled with an 80-year-old grandma recuperating from a major surgery while doing projects for a fixer-upper house.

Our house is undergoing some major changes. I am known for being unsentimental in getting rid of things. One of my major stress busters is what I call "therapeutic de-cluttering."
Save for my investment pieces, I don't own anything that's more than three years old. When I buy something, I make sure I give or throw something away. It just makes life so much simpler and easier. When I'm feeling a bit down, de-clutterring makes me feel better all the time.

But unfortunately for me, this is an old house with a history of teenage dramas from my sisters (and I mean you, Tazel) and a semi-hoarder Lady of the house.
Cleaning out things means packing too many photographs and sentimental abubuts from God knows when.
I just found out my sister has kept every little thing from a lifetime ago: ribbons of little trinkets from past crushes to old articles and writings from her h.s. days.
I had to spend a whole day trying to sort out what to throw and what to keep to send her to very new, very shiny abode in Illinois.
My mom on the other hand is a very capable interior decorator who loves to clean all the time but also likes to keep every little thing.
So now, I am tasked to sort everything out and decide what to toss and what to keep and its taking so. much. time.

I only have the weekends to gallivant.
 Last Saturday, we attended the wedding of our friends Albet and Diane.

Since I bring Hunter with me all the time, its flats for me now everyday.

Hunter meeting Zhinny Mikenzie for the first time. What a cutie! Little Z is one of my dearest friend's baby girl.

I think our little guy has a new crush!

Z and Hunter on a date. ;)

Sunday was breakfast at The Pen with Paolo's best buddies. Love these people, I wish we can see them more often.

July was a busy, busy month for me...but a happy, blessed month as well. =)
Cheers for August and to more work and love.