Noah says...

During a Bisita Iglesia over the Holy Week, Noah started talking about Jesus. If I'm not mistaken, he was thinking of one of the prisoners on the cross beside Jesus on Calvary. Noah asked, "Diba one of Jesus' friends died?" 

Pursuing the conversation, the hubby asked Noah if he knew how that man died. Noah replied, "Maybe he followed Jesus when He walked on water and he drowned".

Photo by Michael Graydon from acupofjo.

Click here for previous posts from the Noah Says... series.

matchy-matchy

After all my effort resisting the urge to match here and here - just when I've gotten the hang of it - I start to spot some matchy-matchy ensembles again.

I have to admit I'm on the fence on this one...

But I absolutely loooove this denim on denim look...

Ooohh, am so smitten... Wish I could pull off this look!

 

Photos from pinkwallpaper, zara and acupofjo. 

little things, big adventure

Not counting work, company benefits and co-worker friends, here are some of the little things I will miss about my old job:

1 My delight at P20 and P50 change because I immediately think, "Yay! Pang-toll!" (see related post here)

2 The happy colors in my bag from my receipt-organizing-system - I got these flat (non-gusseted) pouches from H&M. They come in seafoam green, dark salmon and cream. The green one contains receipts for reimbursement at the office like receipts from meetings at restos. The salmon one contains receipts of personal expenses. I have a cardstock divider in this pouch to separate receipts from credit card tape to get those freebies my card offers. The cream one holds my receipts for liquidation like gas and health expenses. I have to admit that I loved looking in my bag and seeing the pretty colors of my pouches.

3 The winter-cold office temperature especially during the BER months - an excuse to wear pretty coats and clothes made out of wool

4 The carpeted hallways that make it easy to wear 4-to-5-inch heels all day

5 The calming nighttime drive home along C6 - For some reason, I find the combination of the many lampposts on that highway, the absence of traffic and my iPod music playing from my car's speakers very soothing. Now that I won't be working, I imagine I won't be driving at night nor alone so much anymore.

I will miss (a lot of the big things but also) these little delightful things.

But I am certain there will be a different set of delightful little things as this big adventure begins.

Photos from pinkwallpaper and here via acupofjo.

It's time.

Today is my last day of work.

It became a choice between being a mother or a marketeer...

... and of course, the former won out.

Since I've been working 10-to-14-hour days for 16 years, I am looking forward to the gift of time that my new adventure will bring.

Time to enjoy a weekday meal with the kids - something I didn't have because I could barely make it home before bedtime, what more dinner?

Time to enjoy several chapters of a book in one sitting - rather than a few pages every night before bedtime.

Time to fix & organize the house and find out where the string of helpers, that have come and gone all these years, have tucked away our things.

Time to just enjoy a cup of coffee - without also thinking about work or also actually tapping away on my computer to finish a presentation or also reading a book to cram more me-activities in the rare half-hour me-time windows I was lucky to get.

Time to have lunch with my girlfriends (Who doesn't dream of being one of those 'ladies who lunch'? I often wondered with envy how there always seems to be so many of them during the few times I am at the mall on a weekday. It doesn't help that I had to file a vacation leave to be there that day.).

Time to learn something new - like maybe photography?

Time to travel without having to schedule it when there are the most holidays or take red-eye flights so I can leave after work or arrive in time for work the next day. 

Time to surf & blog & scrapbook & maybe even write a book.

Yes, I look forward to the time I will have on my hands starting tomorrow. But today, it's time to say goodbye to the life I've known for 16 years.

Photos from everythingfab, playtimebreak, pinkwallpaper, annnniegirl and fromainsleywithlove.

my childhood playmates

I find this photo so adorable. I can so relate. I grew up with just my brother as my playmate. My grandmother (see previous posts about her here) didn't allow us to go outside & play with our kid-neighbors so we ended up pretending our stuffed toys were our playmates. My brother and I had 3 teddybears: a brown one named Wicket (yes, we are part of the Ewok generation), a chubby gray one named Wally with a tail that rattled, and a pink bear named Winnie. We would pretend we had a magic pill that allowed them to talk and join us on all our pretend adventures in our room. This is probably why I love Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins so much. I love the idea of having a magic stethoscope that makes her toys come alive and talk to her.

Wicket, Wally and Winnie (same starting letter! so Pinoy!) have become the heads of our pretend horses (see related post here), bears in an imaginary jungle adventure and even the audience of a few concerts.

Though these teddybears were not real, to me, they were real playmates in a childhood filled with fun, imaginary adventures and happy memories.

Photos from annnniegirl and ikea.

Click here for previous nostalgic posts. Oh, and speaking of grandmothers, Happy Grandparents' Day to my mom and Lola!

eggshell art

This is nothing short of astounding!

Artist Gary LeMaster creates beautiful intricate art out of eggshells.

Can you imagine the skill and patience required to keep from cracking the eggshell?

Aren't they absolutely amazing?

Photos from here.

Click here for previous posts from the Art series. Click here and here for previous posts on eggs.

secret-keeping dolls

I've always found these Japanese dolls so cute. In fact, ever since I saw one of these Kimmidoll pendants on my friend R, I've been checking Rustan's every now and then for new stock (sadly, they're perpetually out-of-stock).

They're also available as keychains.

And collectible dolls in various sizes...

I just learned here that another brand of Kokeshi dolls called Momiji have message dolls. The dolls have a small space at the base so when you turn them upside down, you will find a tiny folded card meant to contain a secret message. So adorable, right?

Then in the oddest of places - in the sanitary napkin aisle, I found these Japanese dolls!

Now isn't this the cutest packaging? Coincidentally, it's for their ultra thin napkins. To be honest, I had been a maxi pad user for the longest time. I always had to feel the bulk so that I would be confident I was protected. But about 2 years ago, I switched to Modess Ultra Thins because it promised discreet protection via microprotect crystals that absorb 100x its weight. 100x its weight! How amazing is that?

So now, no one has to know I have my period. It's my monthly secret-keeper! And with their new pretty packaging, who can tell they contain sanitary napkins?

Plus, the pouches are in polka-dots! Puts a delightful touch to dreary period days! :)

Photos are my own and from kimmidoll, here and Modess.