Cheap Finds and New Faves

Just want to share some of my cheap finds and new favorites.

I went to Daiso to look for their cheap-o fountain pen but it was not in stock (they had lots of refills, however, if you're interested) and instead found these decoration tapes.

The decoration tape is like a correction tape but with print, I'm not sure though if the function is the same or if it's purely decorative. Really up to you, I guess. I bought these to jazz up my letters and post cards. It's PhP 88 a piece but they have a back-to-school promo which is Php 188 for three. Other designs are also available.

Next cheap find which became an instant favorite is this nail polish top coat with a matte finish. It's from the local brand Bobbie and it's only Php 30 a bottle. Amazing, right? I know it has probably been around for some years now but it's my first time to see this. I don't go to malls unless I really have to buy something and when it comes to nail polish, I don't explore much except for the brands that I use. It's easy to apply and dries quickly... really not bad for 30 bucks, plus, it's matte! :D

I'm no coffee expert but I'm loving these...

I keep a couple of these in my office drawer... the Nescafé Berry Mocha when I'm craving for something sweet and the Nescafé Blend & Brew in the Espresso Roast variant when I'm craving for something strong.

Lastly, got these materials from Divisoria for some projects.

I've already forgotten how much I got the natural thread but I'm sure I got it for less than Php 50. The fabric was Php 70 per yard, I didn't attempt to haggle anymore because it was so hot that day, I was already sweating like a pig. Haha. Anyway, will post here when I'm done with the projects using these.

Surprise mail from China

Welcome back me! It's been a while since my last post, huh? Got tied up with work and it took me some time to adjust since I'd been working freelance for years before going back to an 8-hour job. In fact, I'm still adjusting until now but also trying to manage my time effectively so I can still do the things I love despite being busy with work.

One that I have started doing again is writing and swapping letters and postcards. Just sent a batch of postcards a couple of weeks ago and received a couple, too. It really makes me happy when I go home and see a not-so-empty mailbox.

These were in my mailbox yesterday:

Both are from Lirong Huang of China. In the envelope is a little note, some ephemera, a bank note and a coin, and a pop-up card. I loved everything, especially the pop-up card... it's so pretty, I just had to share it here...

It makes me want to attempt creating something similar but it's not yet time. Haha. By the way, 
I don't know if the symbol means anything, if it does, can you tell me on the comment section, please?

Hoping for more happy mail days!

Tao Kae Noi

I am on the lookout for this particular nori... it's a Japanese brand (but I don't know the name), It's snack sized, and it has a wasabi flavor. I still haven't found it since the first time I've tasted it, which was about two years ago (sad, I know), and nothing else comes close.

Anyway, I tried this particular brand from Thailand, Tao Kae Noi, and it tastes good, too. Yes, they have a wasabi flavor, too, which was the one I tried. Aside from the original and wasabi, the other flavors are hot & spicy, tom yum goong, tomato sauce, seafood, pizza. I'm intrigued with the tom yum goong and tomato sauce flavors... gotta try them next.

Nori is a favorite at home, not only of the adults but also the kids. Open one pack and it'll be gone in less than a minute. Haha!

And this is how I eat it...

One Little Word: DOWNSIZE

Happy New Year!!!

Just wanted to share that I'm doing the One Little Word project this year... I won't be joining Ali Edward's class but I'll be doing it on my own, instead. For those of you who is not familiar with the project, You can read all about it here.

So, here's my One Little Word for 2015...

DOWNSIZE is the word I'll be focusing on this year. The word chose me and I even tried to confirm it.

This year, I'll be focusing on downsizing by removing excess or unnecessary baggages in all aspects of my life. I feel physically, emotionally and mentally drained. My heart is heavy and so is my body, obviously. My mind is cluttered and so is the space around me.

Here are things I'll be working on this year (what I have thought of so far):

• Health: Will try my best to shed off some pounds for the obvious reason and also for the sake of my slipped disks.
• People: Will try to let goof people who give me heartaches and try not to push myself to those who obviously don't want me in their lives.
• Organization: Like what I've mentioned, both my mind and the space around me are cluttered. I'll try to organize my mind by removing unnecessary thoughts and feelings. Also, to help me focus and somehow clear my chaotic mind, I will be doing lots of decluttering and organizing, getting rid of things that I don't really need.
• Financial: I'm aiming to be debt free before the year ends and to have saved a little.

I'll be updating this post when I think of new ones to add. At the end of each month, I'll reflect how the word has touched me and will try to post it here. I will also think of a project that I can do to go with this.

How about you, what's your One Little Word?

PHOTOS: 2PM What Time Is It Live Tour Manila

I watched the Manila leg of 2PM's What Time Is It Live Tour last year and I just want to share my experience and the photos with photos. I already posted the photos in my old blog but I already deleted it, so, I'm posting them again here.

I wasn't really familiar with 2PM's songs back then (I am now) and I was only watching because I really like Taecyeon, Nichkhun and Wooyoung. That;s how I decided to just get the cheapest ticket (Gen. Ad P1000). I bought the tickets (my friends and mine's) without knowing that it was the last day to be qualified for the Meet and Greet with 2PM. Boy, was I ecstatic when I received a text message and an email saying that my name had been drawn to join the event. We got a chance to see the boys up-close before the concert and we were given a photo op, too. (Thanks to Hoopla Inc. for the photo)

There was one more surprise... our tickets were upgraded to VIP 1 & 2! Imagine my ticket from P1000 to P11500... wow! Good thing I already bought a new camera and I was able to take decent pictures. The only downside was that I was alone at the VIP area with no one to talk to. But who cares when you have 6 gorgeous men right in front of you, right? Haha! Anyway, my friends were able to transfer from gen ad to upper box, so, I'm happy for them, too.

So, these were my friends at the upper box section...

Here's me alone at the VIP section... one of my very few selfies. Haha!

Here's us, reunited after the show...

Now, on to the pictures. If you chanced upon my old post, you'll be glad to know that I added a lot more photos to the set... almost doubled, so, enjoy! (All I ask is that you give credit when re-posting the photos and link back to this post. Also, please do not edit the photos and DO NOT remove the watermark. Thanks!) I added the blurred and grainy ones but are still decent, and a lot more. I'm posting a few here but you can find the whole set in my Facebook page.

I will be posting photos from other events, too... do wait for it. :)

MTO: Handmade Notebooks

I finally was able to try long-stitch binding or buttonhole binding and, lucky me, I got me a commission work, too, because somebody ordered a few pieces. Yay! I'm liking this process better than coptic binding but I also still need to work on it, of course. I was glad for the order because it made me practice and learn about long-stich binding.

What I like about long-stitch binding is the book lays flat when opened, just like in coptic binding, but the stitching part is less complicated and easier than that of coptic binding. But... preparing the cover is a longer process since the spine is included.

Below are photos of the notebooks together and some detailed shots. (Me thinks the picture of the all the notebooks is pretty...) Click the photos to see a larger view.

P.S. The watermark on the photos is that of my FB store... I just redid it using my own calligraphy. :)

10 Days of Heartaches

I joined DyosaImma and Fozzy's 10 Days of Heartaches calligraphy challenge on Instagram and I just want to share my works here, too.

I had a hard time with the very first one because it was a while since I last did calligraphy. One thing I learned from this challenge is that practice really does make perfect. Well, in my case, it's not perfect but I can see the improvements. So, I've decided to practice calligraphy frequently if not everyday. I should at least do the drills, right? Also, I've learned that calligraphy need not be expensive. See, mI don't want to buy expensive inks or paints unless I'm doing this professionally. I just buy Indian ink for black and watercolor and poster paint for colors, including metallic ones like gold and silver, and white.

Here are my works with their corresponding song titles and links to YT videos (so you can listen to them). Click photos to view full size.

Day 1: Because I Miss You by Jung Yong Hwa of CNBLUE

Day 2: Eyes, Nose, Lips cover by Tablo X Taeyang

Day 3: Porcelain by Julia Fordham

Day 4: Tonight I Can Write, a poem by Pablo Neruda read by Andy Garcia

Day 5: Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon

Day 6: Sa Kanya by Agot Isidro

Day 7: Illusion by CNBLUE

Day 8: Tell Me on a Sunday by Marti Webb

Day 9: Foolish Games by Jewel

Day 10: Only One Day by SS501

I hope you'll take the time to check out the songs... they're all really nice, even the non-English ones (Filipino, Korean and Japanese). You can also check out my work on Instagram (link in the sidebar) or search for the hashtag #10DaysofHeartaches to see all the participants' works.

Filed Doodle Planner 2015

I'm planning to work on my doodles, so, I decided to get me a Filed Doodle Planner for 2015 for inspiration. Got it about two weeks ago and would like to share with you some pictures of it and what I think about it.

Some pictures... here's the front of the planner, the free pen slinger (a backpack inspired pen holder with 6 slots - available in several colors), and the customizable magnetic bookmark (the little white guy).

Here's the back cover with the pen slinger attached. The facial expressions stickers you can use to decorate the front cover for fun.

Here's the pen slinger filled with pens. Cool huh?

I really like the pen slinger except for one thing... when strapped, the straps kinda blocks the pocket like what you can see in the photo.

Another thing I don't like about it is that the pages sometimes tear when you turn them. This one can't be prevented since it's wire-bound.

One more thing that I really don't like about it is that the daily calendar for each month starts on the first Monday and not on the first day of each month. Do you get it? The first day of the month (if it doesn't fall on a Monday) you can find on the previous month, before the doodled monthly divider page. Got it? Sorry but I'm really bad at explaining things.

Now, I'm not a fountain collector but maybe this will be helpful if you want to know if it's fountain pen friendly. I wrote on it with a calligraphy pen using two different inks. "Hello" was written in Indian ink and "annyeong" was written in Parker Quink ink.

Now, the fun part that I really love about... you can personalize it! There's this little bubble on the cover where you can put your name on. I used Sharpie pens on mine...

For the Love of...

A couple of friends asked me to do some calligraphy for this windsurfing camp in Anilao that we frequent. I hesitated at first because I don't think that my calligraphy is good enough. But they talked me into it and now, I'm very excited to do the project... calligraphy and some paint decorating. Yay!

I Googled for some ideas and here's what I came up with first...

I had a hard time with the waves (took me several tries before I settled with this one), I don't know how to draw waves. Haha! Also, I thought this was not really appropriate for the camp. It's a windsurfing camp and the peeps there catch wind instead of waves (fine... they do sometimes haha). So, I looked for a more appropriate quote and found this one by Isak Dinesen...

I like this one better. What do you think? Now, the question is, will I be able to replicate this on a much much larger scale? I already bought some poster-sized papers for practice.

I really wish this project will push through and that I'll be able to do it. For the love of Anilao! Wish me luck!