"To have and to hold... for ALWAYS"

Our Lady of Fatima Parish

2006-06-14T12:24:00.000+08:00

Our Lady of Fatima Parish Front View

Dressed up during a wedding in Our Lady of Fatima Parish

Our Lady of Fatima Parish Altar

Interview with the Parish Priest- checked!

2006-06-07T11:43:00.000+08:00

We had our interview with the parish priest last Saturday. We started at filling out forms at 8am and the interview commences after. We are done a little past 830am. We were given the wedding banns to give out to our parishes. Mine is different as i need to pay a % of the amount of the stole fee since i am not marrying in our parish. Sam's is just the wedding banns itself. The pre cana seminar can be done outside the parish so we only need someone who can give us the seminars. The parish pre cana seminars is usually every Saturday, whole day. We cannot afford it since i have work during saturdays.
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After going to Philam, we went to Unifair-Binondo. We finalized our invites and they promised it will be done by the last week of June or early part July. We are on the right track!

After Binondo, we went to Divisoria to scour for a few things. Since i forgot to withdraw money, our finances are limited. We had lunch first then we looked for a few things. What we ended up buying are 3 oil burners, ribbons, beads, gifts for the offeror and priest, padlocks, anu pa ba? ayyy crystal cases for our celfones which sam and i both love. ehhehee...
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We were so dead tired that day. Sam fell asleep on the way home. Oh well at least we are getting there... ALMOST.

100 days and counting

2006-06-02T15:42:00.000+08:00

Its less than a 100 days... actually its 98 days exactly before we finally get hitched! its really happening... parang matagal pa for us... so near yet so far! heheheh...

Yesterday, Sam and I applied for our marriage license in Las Pinas City Hall. Armed with our respective birth certificates and cedula and me bringing my barangay certificate, we went to the local Civil Registry to ask for forms for applying for marriage certificate. We then proceed to Pre-Marriage counselling in the morning and Family Planning seminar in the afternoon. When we get to submit the forms they asked us to fill up, they were asking for Cenomar or Certificate of No Marriage from NSO. Eh ang NSO eh nasa Muntinlupa, pwede naman daw to follow na lang... haaayyy kala ko pa naman i already covered all bases. oh well, additional requirement daw ito... i just ask Sam to get it na lang. We can get our marriage license by June 13 and it has 120 days validity. Thus it will expire by Oct 11.

I guess we enjoyed the seminars especially the health seminar or the family planning as all methods were discussed. hahaha... yun pala tawag dun! nyahahaha... we were finished by 2:30pm. We went home muna then we went out again to go to see the house. Grabe! matatapos na ito... napipicture na nga namin itsura ng bahay since may first coating of paint na sya... ang ganda ng pagka yellow and peach ng living room at kitchen respectively. Gusto ko din ang lavander ng mag kwarto at ang green and gold ng stairhandles. We really cant wait for it to finish... haaayyy... its our home!

Next in our itinerary was to apply for the confirmation of Sam in our parish church. We went there to submit the photo-copied baptismal certificate of Sam and pay the fee. The confirmation seminar will be next friday at 8pm and the actual confirmation will be on June 10, Saturday at 9am. Since i dont know who willbe the godparents of Sam, i just put in, my parents name as his godparents... panalo!

After going to the church, we went na to SM to do some chores, looking for our wedding shoes and watching a movie. We went to watch X-Men the Final Stand. Sam dozed off in the middle of the film but went on to watch. We bought lots of chichiria which i went on to consume more than half. hahaha...

Oh well at least its a good break from all hassle and stress of wedding preps and house buildings.

Looking forward to more dates with my Sam!

First fitting with Michi Calica

2006-05-30T13:57:00.000+08:00

More pictures taken from my first fitting with Michi....

Censored ito...

Million dollar question: What is the color of my underwear? hehehe pati underwear motiff! nyahahaha...

my dream gown finally!

2006-05-29T12:14:00.000+08:00

When i was a little girl i kept on mussing over how i want my wedding gown to be... before i wanted similar to what Cinderella wore during the ball. With those hip puffs and gloves and even glass shoes! But when i grew older, my waist and hips grew larger... i banished the Cinderella gown... Then i started to design my gown... i never wanted a tube gown, am not proud of my arms... always have problems with my arms... but i love my shoulders and chest... hmmm... something V neck i suppose... Off shoulder gowns should be it!...

I downloaded a lot of gowns and i do have lots of choices but it doesnt feel right... i know that IT wasnt my gown!

Then i came across a co-wowie gown (Pebbles Santos-Garcia), i seldom look in webshots of wowies gown but this particular gown struck me most. It has all the things i want for in a gown, lace, beads, flare sleeves and off shoulder neckline. I know that this has to be IT!

I won the gown in W@W auction last year and contacted the designer, Michi Calica- Sotto. I learned that this is the same designer of Pebbles. Last april, Sam and I went to her shop and she sketched me something similar to the gown i liked. She modified a bit and still i loved the sketch! Its perfect.

May 3, 2006 : The day I got my RING!

2006-05-24T13:29:00.000+08:00

After more than a year of saving up, Sam finally gave me the ring! Yes, its the minutest diamond ring i ever saw, but it shone to me like a thousand gems when i saw it. I never imagined i can have a diamond ring...

What do you expect from a nurse working here in the Philippines (i am not really demeaning them, but everyone know how sorry their monthly income is). Actually what am expecting from Sam as his engagement ring to me is a simple band. No! dont get me wrong, i am not a materialistic type of person. I dont even wear jewelries. I am just expressing how ecstatic i felt when Sam gave me the ring. Its just a ring, yes, how simple it is, how plain, how small... but it holds a lot of meaning to both of us and for me, i have never seen a more meaningful gift ever!

The proposal is not how i imagined being proposed to... it was WAAAAAYYYY out of the ordinary...

I knew even before he gave me the ring that he will be giving me one and was saving his cigarette money and shuttle money to complete a substantial amount for a decent engagement ring. He collected all his 10 peso coins (the two toned coins) and kept it in his room and counts them all weekly. I sort of helped him out as i collected coins for him as well, and show him the coins when we are about to pay something, he will snatch it off me and replace it with other monetary units. This went on for months. I was not sure how much is he saving up for but he somehow spilled to me a couple of time that he is saving up for almost 2 months his salary for something daw. heheheh...

May 3 came, we were suppose to meet earlier than usual so we can go to Sheila and Emon's condo in GA Tower along EDSA to get the exhaust fan. We were scheduled to meet in SM Makati at 4:30pm. He was late! i was furious. His reason was he had a haircut! He came around 6pm without any sign that any of his hair has been cut. I scoured all the malls in makati (EXAG!) looking for a decent priced twin motor rangehood and he is still not there. I was fuming mad when at 6pm he came around. He even has the gall to go to the toilet and wash up! I kept to myself since we are in the public place. He kept on muttering his apologies and kissing me. I ignored him. I shrugged him off all the way to Boni. I was mad, fuming mad! In the MRT, he gave up saying sorry. He was beginning to get upset as well. I dont care. I was mad!

When we alighted from the MRT Boni station, he got something out from his bag and hand it to me... I saw that it was a red square ring box. He gave it to me as if he was giving a candy to a child. I was surprised and all the more mad. Is this how he will give my engagement ring? I gave it back to him, telling him "pagusapan natin mamaya" since we are just a few steps away from my friend's condo.

Being with friends made me calm down and even had a good time. When its time to go home, Sam and I took the bus home. During the ride, he made kwento on how his day was, how painstakingly combed Ongpin to find that perfect ring for me, how much effort and haggling he did just to let the seller give him discounts for the ring(he hasnt devulged to me up to this date the price of the ring), and how shamelessly asked if he can pay the balance the following day and still get the ring which the seller, trusted him and gave him her account number where he can deposit the balance. Thats the reason why he was late.

My heart went out for my Sam. And all this time i was fuming mad. I felt ashamed. He did not give me back the box during that ride home. He waited till we got home and in our front yard, he cornered me and asked me to spend the rest of my life with me, from which i answered "for always"... hahaha mushy!

Note: it was supposed to be his monthsary gift for me for Friday, May 5, but he was forced to give me the ring since I might be suspecting him of playing behind my back since his alibi was he has his hair cut where its very obvious that he did not go anywhere near his barber... hahaha

Pamanhikan, May 7, 2006

2006-05-24T12:46:00.000+08:00

Yes, my pamanhikan stories are delayed... dunno why, maybe because i am waiting for the pictures to be uploaded and am so tamad in doing that... Actually i only got one group picture of the pamanhikan and still so tamad in uploading it... oh well...

The pamanhikan went ok... ok not spectacular nor boring... ok lang! I guess this was because everything went well... all details been ironed out by us... so its basically a meeting of families...

Initially Sam thought only her auntie and her auntie's friend will be going with him sa Pamanhikan, i insisted that he brought along Buddo and wife too since thats his closest family here in manila. Then came the day of pamanhikan... there were a few misunderstandings from his side on what to bring and who to buy things... Just to sort it out, i volunteered to buy the pancit and drinks and ice cream (Dont ever buy the green tea ice cream!) so they wont have to stop at the store to buy these things. I just asked Sam to buy ice from the convenience store on the way over.

His auntie cooked "porkchop" and Sam cooked Caldereta. That was it! I understand Sam doesnt have money that time to splurge on food (he paid me naman for the things i bought). Even my mom told him not to bring too much. My mom, as a perfect hostess as she is, brought out the best linens, and truly made up the dinner table. My dad set up the long table out in front and i lit the candles to make it enchanting daw!

They arrived around 8pm. My family are accustomed to eating dinner at 6:30pm thus we are all famished! They came in one vehicle, and in attendance, Auntie Emy, Her friend:manang Lita, Lynette, Lindsay, Jobert, Jobert's gf, Buddo, Belle and Sam. And they brought caldereta and the "porkchops"... oh well...

My thoughts?

Pamanhikan is one special event in a man's life. It symbolizes the meeting of two families, their customs, their traditions, their contributions, their lifestyle. All should be laid out on the table. the couple on the other hand, gives respect to the elderlies by stating their intentions to one another and detailing the plans that they already made.

Of course, since everything has been taken cared of including the wedding preps, entourage and even the honeymoon. There is really no other things except for their attendance and cooperation and support we are asking from our respective parties. My parents have been very supportive and very involved in the prepartions which we are very thankful. No such support were shown to us by the people on Sam's side. Sam and I are not asking for monetary help, what we are looking for is some sort of support in terms of asking what else do we need, how are we doing with the preps, where will the wedding be, etc. These are just small things and in asking these questions, you may somehow feel that they would want to be informed and included. But asking Sam nor me, questions on us getting married has not occurred since we started the wedding preps. I am just thankful that Sam's brother is in full support of the wedding and even though i dont speak the dialect, i feel that Sam's father accepts me as his future daughter-in-law. Oh well... sometimes this bothers me when i get to think about it, but since these things are too small to stress over, i just shrugged it off and kept telling myself, at least the immediate family is in favor of me, what else can they do.

I try to choose my battles, these small stuff doesnt necessarily affect me so much. I got lots of things to think about other than their not being participative. Besides, based on Sam's kwentos, they are just like that and i guess i have to live with it. What with 10 years of my corporate life, i learn how to deal with these kinds of people. Plus, we dont get to live with them naman.. so no problem there. I think i will only get to meet them during reunions and bdays and maybe holidays. I understand that they are instrumental on Sam's life for which we are forever indebted, but that's just it! We are on our way towards a new life, with or without them, we will survive!

Baclaran-Divisoria-Binondo-Quiapo Sojourn

2006-05-23T16:24:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, Sam and I went to these places... commute ang drama namin... since it was sooo hot, kumpleto kami ng paraphernalias like bottled water and towel...

We first went to Baclaran to check out ROSY'S BRIDAL CENTER which is just beside the church. Initially i just wanted to get a quote from her but it turned out i paid in full that time. For me reasonable naman ang price to think na i will just be renting the flower girls dresses and teh little boys barong.

My 2 yards veil
Sam's piña barong and pants
1 mothers gown
1 MOH gown
3 flower girls dresses (made-for-rent)
3 little boys barong (made for rent)
Free: pouch bag and camisa de chino and garter

All for Php 12,000 with 2k to be returned upon return of the gowns.

Next stop was in Binondo, but since we made a mistake of riding the FX in baclaran that goes all the way to Divisoria, we went first to Divisoria, shop a little then ride a sidecar to Binondo. We would have wanted to ride the kalesa (Sam hasnt experienced riding a kalesa before) kaso he changed his mind, sayang!

Off we went to UNIFAIR, our invitation supplier to finally book and submit our entourage list. Erwin was accomodating though very obvious he was very tired and was wet with perspiration (told you it was hot outside!). They have a few customers when we went up but he attended to us agad. We made a downpayment of P2,500 and our contract is for 100 invitations plus 50 gift tags all for P5,750. I will just email him the wordings and the rest of the entourage which i just did this afternoon. He said proofing will be by Friday daw.

After Binondo, since we still have time, we went to Quiapo. boarded a jeep to take us to lawton and since nagtitipid kami, we walked all the way to Sta. Cruz then Quiapo to buy more beads... sobrang adik na talaga ako sa beads. My money was not enough... i spent a little bit more than 1000 bucks for all the beads! haaaayyy...

Nakalimutan namin magmeryenda so, while waiting for the anticipated mass to begin, we went out and have a quick meryenda at the nearby Jollibee. SUPER hot pala talaga yung Spicy chicken joy! bleach! yoko nun!... After attending mass at Quiapo church we head home na... sobrang pagod kami at gutom... haaayyy...

That was how our Saturday trip went... Now am looking forward to another Saturday trip again this coming weekend where we will scour QC naman! plus i have to get my confirmation certificate pa from St. Andrews Church in Paranaque. Only this time we will be going to these places in our car! hehehe

Beads, Cord,Rosary, etc

2006-05-03T14:56:00.000+08:00

My current pastime is making beads! i am so addicted i am spending too much for these beads and it seems its not enough! I wanted to go back to Wellmanson in Quiapo... its a beads haven over there! hehehe..

I made my own cord in just one afternoon! WAAAAHUUUU.... i wasnt satisfied yet... as you can see, i lack the cross. Maybe i will do one more! When September comes, i think i may have 5 cords! nyahahahhaa...

I guess i wanted a crystal cord next time! hehehe...

Maricris also made me the rosary beads and earrings, though i did made a couple of these as well! hehehe... super ka aliw pati yung earrings... katuwa... Actually my mom have a couple of bracelets and earrings i made last night and my sister have a pair of earrings and bracelet. I did all these plus another earring and necklace while watching Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition and Gulong ng Palad. hehehe...

These rosary bracelets will be based on our Ninang's birthstone. Of course they cant wear these cause its kinda big for the wrist. It will just be a travelling rosary. Anyhow, they can wear the earrings naman.

Birthstones

2006-04-26T13:49:00.000+08:00

BIRTHSTONES

January: Garnet

Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January & the anniversary gemstone for the second year of marriage.Garnet derived its name from the Latin word granatus, meaning like a grain, which refers to the mode of occurrence wherein crystals resemble grains or seeds embedded in the matrix. Garnet is a family of minerals having similar physical and crystalline properties.

There are a number of trade and variety names for garnet, most of these names are for particular colors of a specie.
· Hessonite is the variety name for a fine orange, cinnamon brown, or pinkish variety of grossularite, while tsavorite is the trade name for fine dark green grossularite.
· Melanite is a black titanium bearing variety of andradite and demantoid is a rich green variety.

All species of garnet have been used as gemstones. Garnet displays the greatest variety of color of any mineral, occurring in every color except blue. For example, grossularite can be colorless, white, gray, yellow, yellowish green, various shades of green, brown, pink, reddish, or black. Andradite garnet can be yellow-green, green, greenish brown, orangy yellow, brown, grayish black or black.
In addition to symbolizing second anniversaries, the radiant garnet has been worn throughout history by travelers seeking protection. Legend has it that Noah used a large garnet to light his ark. While most people are familiar with the dark red-colored garnet, this gemstone comes in a variety of shades. Believed to represent faith, constancy, and truth, the garnet is favored for its beauty and symbolism.

February: Amethyst

Found in varying shades of purple, the amethyst represents royalty, piety, and sobriety. This gemstone is given as a sixth anniversary gift in addition to symbolizing sincerity and stability. Wear amethyst to heighten your natural intuition and help get in touch with your inner self.

March: Aquamarine

Literally meaning “sea water,” this pastel blue-colored gemstone is known to reduce fear and stimulate self expression. A symbol of happiness and everlasting youth, the aquamarine is also suggested as a nineteenth anniversary gift.

April: Diamond

The Diamond is the birthstone of April and the anniversary gemstone for the 10th and 60th years of marriage.

Diamonds were discovered in India in 500 B.C., and the name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas" which means unconquerable - suggesting the eternity of love. Since ancient Greece, diamonds and diamond jewelry have been the traditional symbol of love, and the ancients believed they were hardened dew drops, splinters from the stars or crystallized lightning. A diamond is the hardest substance known to humankind, and is made of a crystallized carbon that has unique powers of light reflection. Since diamonds are composed of a single element, they are the purest of all gemstones.In addition to being a girl’s best friend and a symbol of commitment, the diamond is well known for its beauty and durability.

May: Emerald

Emerald is the birthstone of May & the anniversary gemstone for the 20th and 35th years of marriage. Emerald - gem of eternal spring. We all are fascinated by the emerald's rich history, lore and tradition. Emeralds have been cherished for as long as there has been a written history.

Archaeologists have traced the origins of the use of emerald to almost 3000 B.C. in both ancient Egypt and India.
· Cleopatra prized her emeralds more than any other gem.
· The Romans also loved emeralds because, as the ancient scholar Pliny said, "nothing greens greener."
· The Moguls of India loved emeralds so much they inscribed them with sacred text and wore them as talismans.

Believed to aid one’s memory and intelligence, and promote honesty, the emerald was dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love. Lovers believed that the bright green color would expose the faithfulness of their significant other. Now, it is the same awe-inspiring green color which makes the emerald one of the most popular choices for jewelry.

June: Pearl

From the Latin word "perula," or small pear, the pearl has been revered for centuries by emperors, kings and queens. This pearl is formed when a mollusk protects itself from a bit of irritating debris by building layers of iridescent material called nacre over the intruder. This gem is believed to bestow purity, wisdom and perfection.

The sparkling beauty of a strand of pearls has held the attention of brides for millennia. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. During the Crusades in the Middle Ages, pearls were the gift of choice for a knight to give to his lady. During the 14th and 15th centuries, royal wedding scenes closely resembled a sea of pearls, with everyone from the bride down to her male guests adorned with impressive arrays of pearl jewelry.In modern times, cultured pearls have graced such 20th century brides as Queen Elizabeth II, the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.

July: Ruby

Ruby is the birthstone of July & the anniversary gemstone for the 15th and 40th years of marriage.Ruby's day is Tuesday, its season summer, and its apostle St. Matthew. The scarlet-colored gem is July's birthstone under the sign of Cancer, is said to accord wearers wisdom, happiness and health, and to bring particularly good luck to gamblers and lovers.

Rubies are more than talismans or good-luck charms, not only historic and exotic but also valuable. Value is a human set of conditions: gems must have rarity, durability and beauty. Great rubies display all three hallmarks. Rubies - especially fine rubies - are rarer than diamonds, emeralds or sapphires. The beauty of their color is without peer. And their durability is often a surprise to new buyers.

On the famous Mohs hardness scale of 1 to 10, everyone knows that a diamond, as the hardest natural substance on earth, rates a 10. Rubies, at Mohs 9, are harder than any other material except diamonds. You may already have noticed that rubies and sapphires are often paired. For good reason. They belong to the same family, corundum, the crystal form of aluminum oxide.
Highly prized by emperors and kings, the ruby is believed to preserve the wearer’s body and mental health by removing evil thoughts, controlling amorous desires, and reconciling disputes. The gemstone’s fiery red color represents stimulation, life, heat, and power. Desired by both men and women alike, this most precious gem is perfect for any occasion.

August: Peridot

Long associated with spring and renewal, the peridot is also known as the “evening gemstone” because its color intensifies in the evening light.

This gemstone is believed to bring its wearer success, peace, and good luck. The peridot is thought to provide protection, health, and sleep; it is also used to attract love and calm anger in addition to soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotion. It is traditionally given for the sixteenth anniversary.

September: Sapphire

Sapphire is the birthstone of September & the anniversary gemstone for the 5th and 45th years of marriage.Sapphire - gem of the heavens, or the divine gemstone, has been cherished for thousands of years.

The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. Sapphire is found in all colors: from midnight blue to the bright blue of the noon sky, from a golden sunrise to reddish-orange, and the delicate violet of twilight. The most famous and valuable sapphires are a truly royal blue.Sapphire symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness, and is an excellent choice for an engagement ring.

When Prince Charles gave Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring, couples all over the world were inspired to revive this ancient tradition.

The deep blue of the sapphire carries its own distinct beauty. The sapphire provides accents to all jewelry designs. This gemstone provides its wearer with spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. Known as the gem of destiny, it can help make your dreams come true.

October: Opal

Opals are famous for their "play of colors". Beliefs associated with the wearing of opal have varied: the early Greeks claimed that opals gave their owners the powers of prophecy, Romans adored it as a token of hope and purity, Arabs believed it fell from heaven.

During the Medieval period, a change in the color of an opal was believed to indicate if the wearer was in good health.

Opal is brittle, heat sensitive, and breaks and scratches easily. Some varieties self- destruct through the loss of water. Even with these drawbacks, opal still is a premier gemstone. Opal's name evolved from the Roman word opalus from the Greek word opallios - "to see a change of color." The Greek word was a modification of the ancient Indian Sanskrit name for opal, upala, which meant "precious stone." If one spoke in mixed tongues, then opal would be opallios upala, "to see a change of color precious stone."

November: Citrine

The citrine represents the thirteenth anniversary and is believed to symbolize lightheartedness and joy.

In ancient times, people carried citrine as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. People born in November are especially able to experience the calmness and hope that the citrine brings.

Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz. Named from the French name for lemon,"citron," many citrines have a juicy lemon color.Citrine includes yellow to gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz. Sunny and affordable, citrine can brighten almost any jewelry style, blending especially well with the yellow gleam of polished gold. Although the darker, orange colors of citrine, sometimes called Madeira citrine after the color of the wine, has generally been the most valued color, in modern times, many people prefer the bright lemony shades which mix better with pastel colors. Citrine is generally more inexpensive than amethyst and is also available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including very large sizes

December: Turquoise

Turquoise is the birthstone of December & the anniversary gemstone for the 4th and 11th year of marriage.

Legend says that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight. The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Turquoise is favored for its beautiful luster and color.

Turquoise, or the robin's egg blue gemstone worn by Pharaohs and Aztec Kings, is probably one of the oldest gemstones known. Yet, only its prized blue color, a color so distinctive that its name is used to describe any color that resembles it, results in its being used as a gemstone.Turquoise has been, since about 200 B.C., extensively used by both southwestern U.S Native Americans and by many of the Indian tribes in Mexico. The Native American Jewelry or "Indian style" jewelry with turquoise mounted in or with silver is relatively new. Some believe this style of Jewelry was unknown prior to about 1880, when a white trader persuaded a Navajo craftsman to make turquoise and silver jewelry using coin silver. Prior to this time, the Native Americans had made solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics.

Recently, turquoise has found wide acceptance among people of all walks of life and from many different ethnic groups. The name turquoise may have come from the word Turquie, French for Turkey, because of the early belief that the mineral came from that country (the turquoise most likely came from the Alimersai Mountain region in Persia (now Iran) or the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, two of the world's oldest known turquoise mining areas.) Another possibility could be the name came from the French description of the gemstone, "pierre turquin" meaning dark blue stone.

My parent's portrait

2006-04-25T10:32:00.000+08:00

Finally, eto na yung gift ko sa parents ko. Of course, courtesy of Espesyal Na Ngiti! (thanks, Christine!)

Again, i still cant decide which one to choose. This will be perfect! As little kids, we dont seem to recall having seen any portrait of my parents during their wedding. I think i saw one but only a 5r size photograph in a dilapidated picture frame. This can somehow bring back memories and of course, a sort of a tribute for being together for 33 years!

Mulling over our home-to-be!

2006-04-17T17:08:00.000+08:00

Last Good Friday, I brought Sam to our newly vacated townhouse. Of course, its still a mess and there are a lot of work to be done. It smell like cockroach and old wood. However, it will be our future home.

There are a lot of things needed.

Last Sunday, we went to Wilcon Home Depot to look for tiles and stuff for the house. Haay nakoo pagpili pa lang ng tiles nde na kami magkasundo ni Sam, pano pa kaya sa iba? hahahaha... although ok lang naman... of course we both wanted to make our little nest beautiful pero syempre iba syempre ang definition nya ng beautiful. Parang new project na naman ito after the wedding... and this time it will be for longer period.

Excited na ako, from choosing the tiles, the bathroom accesories, the lay out of the house, the painting of the walls, etc... haaay nakooo... thinking about it gives me goosebumps... This is it!

Thank you PEBBLES!!!

2006-04-17T16:59:00.000+08:00

Last saturday, I met with Mojics and Pebbles (Mike, Pebbles' hubby arrived an hour later) in Starbucks ATC. We had a lot of chika... ooopps ako lang ata... kulit ko kasi... I am still overwelmed how bait Pebbles is. She gave me her secondary veil and 2 pillows! sobrang tuwang tuwa ako grabeee... i did not even bought her coffee... hehehe sya pa itong nanlibre ng cake. sobrang kakahiya... hehehe...They are a beautiful couple and we had great fun discussing about a lot of things! inabot kaya kami ng 8:30pm eh we met up around 5:30pm.. kala ko matagal na yung 7pm. hahaha...

The secondary veil is very beautiful! with pearls and sequins in it... ganda talaga! will post the picture soon. As for the pillows, it has never been used, made by Michi Calica herself. ganda ng tela!!! haaaayy... Pebbles is heaven sent for practical bride like me.

I am mussing over borrowing Mojic's polaroid camera. I am not sure to whom i can assign it if in case. plus, i need to buy pa cartridges for it, another expense na naman... ayaw ko na... told myself i will have to limit my "wish-ko-lang" at "nice-to-have" from now on. My wedding will be fine... all i need at this moment is a supplier for my entourage dresses, after nun, tapos na ako... follow ups na lang.

Again, i would like to thank Mrs. Pebbles Santos-Garcia for the stuff she shared with us!

Five months and counting...

2006-04-11T11:41:00.000+08:00

What am i missing? At this point, i feel i have almost covered just about anything. I can even imagine how the ceremony and reception will happen. With only five months, i have yet to finalize a few more things...

Church : Our Lady of Fatima Parish Church- schedule for parish priest interview not yet done, but requirements, slowly being processed.

Reception: Dazo Hall Philam Clubhouse -fully paid - SPONSORED

Caterer: Robert Camba - paid DP, will finalize everything a week before wedding.

Photo Video: Paul Vincent - paid DP, Pre-Nup scheduled on July 27

Bridal Gown: Michi Calica-Sotto - fully paid, 1st fitting scheduled on May 27 - Won in W@W auction

Barong for groom, bridal accesories and Entourage dresses: still seeking other suppliers will finalize this month - SPONSORED

HMUA: Chichi Sotomil - paid DP, done with trial make up. will have another trial make up during pre nup.

Mobile: Events 8 - paid DP, for signing of contract

Flowers and drapes: Steve Dorotan: paid DP, done with ocular, for finalization of package - SPONSORED

Souvenirs: Konsepto- paid DP, will give pictures after pre nup for the layout

Cake: Alvarez Bakeshop- coordinated design with Jenny Sarmiento and will coordinate pictures with fellow wowie Mitzi. - FREE

Table numbers and gift for parents:Espesyal na Ngiti - paid DP

Photo Mosaic: coordinated with Hajji Jalotjot on base picture. Will add pictures after pictorial with Rio. - FREE

Invites: Unifair - will finalize listings within the month, will start printing next month

Guestbook: Color Me Mine - paid DP, will coordinate on the design, Sam to do a temporary frame. - SPONSORED

Wedding Preps: Bellevue - reserved since last month

Honeymoon: Cebu Pacific/ Pearl of the Pacific / White House- fully paid on airfare, will coordinate with POP on the free accomodations and reserve White House. - WON IN A BRIDAL FAIR

Emcee/Singer: Tobbie Cadhit - will meet to finalize program and repertoire - FREE

Wedding Rings: Melia Jewelry - Will finalize design within the month

Party poppers/sparklers: Krystie Mateo/Divisoria supplies - FREE

Projector: Konsepto - FREE

AVP: Rio and Elmer - FREE

Gifts for sponsors and Entourage: done with flower girls and bearer boys, rosary bracelet for PS female and coffee from Amadeo for PS Male. Mini wines for other male entourage

Placecards: bought miniframes from Divisoria

Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Las Pinas & Paranaque all in one day!

2006-04-10T15:19:00.000+08:00

Woke up last Saturday very pumped up for a full day schedule ahead... never knew how the day will wore us off.

I am excited to finally meeting Michi Calica-Sotto, my gown designer. After having won in the auction last December 2005, ngayon ko lang mame meet si Michi. Our scheduled was at 11:30am. Joy, Michi's assistant, texted me while i was dressing up that our schedule was at 10:30am... i was shocked its almost 10am and Sam is still on his way over. I texted back and told her, it was 11:30am. Good thing it was just a mistake. haaayy... kala ko nde na naman matutuloy!

We arrived in New Manila in QC around 11:33am. Buti na lang Michi was still attending to a client adn asked us to wait. Since it is summer, SOBRANG INIT! grabeeee... My measurement was taken and we were asked to wait again. When we finally met Michi in her air conditioned office, she immediately sketched me a gown quite similar than that of Pebbles Garcia (a former w@wie) with a few twist. I willbe having a sweep train (she said i dont need naman daw a detachable train since my church is small). OF course lace and beads will be the main attraction of the gown. My tela will be made of Ivory Satin (perfect for my color daw and the bagsak of the gown). I am quite disappointed (no, very disappointed!) since the accesories like the veil, pouch, etc are not included in the package. I will have to buy it a daw sa kanya... haaayyy... Our meeting lasted only for a few minutes and by 12:05pm we were being ushered out her house.
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Our next stop will be in Espiritu Santo in Rizal Avenue in Manila, since we are already there. KFC is again our choice for our lunch venue. We were so full! grabeee! Sobrang traffic at sobrang init. Since the office gets to open at 2pm, and we arrived at 1:30pm, we had desserts in the nearby Jollibee. We got my baptismal certificate and bought a couple of palaspas (for Palm Sunday) in 15 minutes tops!

Our next destination was in Makati for our couple's body massage! Unfortunately when we get there, a newly wed couple beat us to the room even though we have reservation! kainis! di bale, newly wed naman sila eh. It was Sam's first experience of a body massage! and he totally enjoyed it. Since i got mine for free (since i referred a lot of clients), we only paid for Sam's massage. We were done at 5:10pm.

Initially, we wanted to attend mass in Shrine of Jesus at 5:30pm, but since we were caught in the traffic, (its palm sunday for El Shaddai members as well) and at 5:30pm we are still in Buendia Makati traffic, we opted to hear mass in our parish in Las Pinas. we were able to attend the 6:45pm mass, although we missed the blessing of the palms. The mass ended around 7:40pm. We went home first to eat dinner with the family of course.

After dinner, we rushed to attend confession in Our Lady of Fatima Parish. We even saw our "ninang" there! Actually,si Sam lang mag co confess, sinamahan ko lang sya. I had my confession last Thursday. I was in full support as he was nervous as his getting near his turn. After all these years, it was only this time he will be undergoing confession. After his penance, of 3 Our Father and a visit to the Adoration Room, he felt he was cleansed and relieved i guess. We walked around the park and saw our reception venue all lit up. We decided to take a look at the toilets as a fellow wowie told me it was filthy! good thing the event ,which was a wedding just finished and the caterer are just packing up. I visited the toilet and it was ok. It was super basic with two toilets for girls and boys. Its not smelly and the flush are in working condition. I guess i need to put in flowers to liven the place up and put in liquid soap and tissue to make it more presentable. I learned from the caterer that the wedding has 150 guests with the buffet tables inside! hmmmm... interesting! sayang lang we did not see the set up.

When we got on the car, i suggested to go to Karen's house in Paranaque to give the tickets. Sam willingly obliged. When we were in Sucat road we saw the El Shaddai members walking towards the place in Kabihasnan and it causes traffic. Grabeee almost 10pm na yun nuh. We just gave Karen the tickets and left after staying for 15-20 minutes.

Upon arriving sa house, sobrang pagod kami, that Sam didnt bother to drink coffee na as he was so tired from driving! at least mejo may partida pa yun kasi nakapag rest sya sa spa.

Oh well, that was how our day went last Saturday! Indeed it was eventful and productive day for us!

We will take care of each other, for now, for tomorrow, for always

2006-04-07T16:23:00.000+08:00

Its a bit corny to be mushy in a hot humid afternoon. I dunno but i came across this one song of which i fell for even as a little girl. I vowed then that whoever will be my prince, will have to sing me this song and i know, i was sure i would have melted right there and then...
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Sam did no such thing, he did not even sung any song for me (less that ridiculously song) rendition of "Suntok sa Buwan!" hehehe... oh well, you can't have it all!
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Again, with the help of the wonderful amazing world of Internet, i found him! I found my song to him... hahaha...

I'll Take Care of You Lyrics

I'll take care of you

Don't be sad, don't be blue

I'll never break your heart in two

I'll take care of youI'll kiss your tears away

I'll end your lonely days

All that i'm tryin' to say

Is I'll take care of you

I want you to know that I love you so

I'm proud to tell the world you're mine

I said it before, I'll say it once more

You'll be in my heart 'til the end of time

I'll take care of you

Don't be sad, don't be blue

Just count on me your whole life through

Cause i'll take care of you

Another lay out for table numbers

2006-03-29T17:05:00.000+08:00

Isa pang pagpipilian... hehehe... dami! katuwa!

Personalized Table Numbers

2006-03-29T13:02:00.000+08:00

So excited getting this from

Christine of ESPESYAL NA NGITI

... grabe, dunno the feeling when she showed it to me... kakakilig na parang ewan, ang ganda kasi at ang linaw. She truly knows her craft... and totoo yung sinabi nya na ang hirap pumili sa layout... hahaha...

So which is which? HELF!!!

Photo Wedding Cake

2006-03-21T17:58:00.000+08:00

Found my perfect wedding cake with my photo themed incorporated. Hope this can be done!!!

Sunday Sojourn

2006-03-20T12:34:00.000+08:00

It was an eventful day yesterday. I wouldnt be going into details though but there have been a lot of tears shed that could last us for a year! hahaha... i guess we have to go thru it. It was all because of my craziness, being impatient to feel all the things a couple of 10 years or so should have gone thru. Or maybe because i have too much time on my hand, or maybe stress is getting on me or maybe my age! i dont know. i just know that looking back it was purely and 100% silliness that was the cause of all those tears! It just seem so big and so important during that time that should not be passed up. oh well... Sam should gear himself for more to come! I am trying definitely to be free from all these evil spirits!
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Sam again replenish his emotional investments to my parents by bringing chico again. He surely know how to please my parents! they are suckers for the smelly chico fruit. Chico brought Sam closer to my parents! My mom gets to text Sam from time to time (bad trip nakikibalita pa kung nag aaway kami!). I bet my mom would side pa kay Sam instead of me pag nag away kami.
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We went to a dressmaker yesterday in Multinational Paranaque. Except for the Flower girls dresses, her prices are reasonable. She even gave me swatches of fabrics to use for the gowns. Oh well, i will have to see a couple more dressmakers. My budget for all 5 dresses (1 MOH, 1Mom and 3 FG) is only 5K or less. Hopefully we get to get more discounts pa. Wanted sana to put in the barong of Sam as package. Let's see how it goes for the coming days.
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sam and I went to attend his old classmate despedida. Of course the usual jesting of Sam's ex and me arises. Buti na lang wala dun si Cathy kundi tutuksuhin na naman kami. all of them know na about the upcoming wedding, maybe we will get to see them again sa distribution of invitations. This despedida gets me to think to revive my application for immigrant status in Canada. It has been years since i last applied and wanted to push thru with it again. However this time i will be applying for family status. Hopefully we get to have approval after a year. At least mag start na kami dun ni Sam.
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Las Saturday, I finally booked Steve Dorotan as my florist and event stylist. I really pray he would make my bare function hall look like heaven during my wedding day. I guess i only have to trust him. When we went to do the ocular last Saturday, the church and the reception hall were being made up for a wedding. Kung hindi lang ako pagod naki USI pa sana ako. We were there around 2:30pm and the wedding is scheduled at 4pm. I showed Mang steve where i wanted the flowers and what to put sa reception venue. He seemed to be knowledgeable on his craft, kaya excited na ako!

Money Matters

2006-03-17T15:58:00.000+08:00

Now that i can say am in my last leg of wedding preparations, all am dealing with is budgetting the expenses. I am still on the right track! haaayyy yun nga lang parang sobrang tempting ang mga nice-to-have!
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Ang masasabi ko lang PRAMIS nde na ako gagastos!
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Kaya nga we need sponsors for these things! hehehe (calling my friends abroad!). To help you with your worries on thinking what to give me, there are a few things i have in mind... dont hesitate to contact me. hehehe...
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On Saturday we will be meeting with 3 coutoriers and canvassing who can provide the best deal. I only have 5 dresses to be made. Mom's dress, MOH and flower girls. Hope I can squeeze in to as cheap as 4-5K.
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I found new dresses for the flower girls pla. what you think?

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Though sad to say nde bagay ang wings dito sa dress na ito... nakuuu malulungkot si Cai. pero kasi gusto ko simple lang din ang dress nila at madaling i adjust!

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Oh well... lets see how it goes!

Mobile and space

2006-03-10T14:39:00.000+08:00

Last night, Sam and I met with Mojics (fellow w@wie) in McDo Las Pinas to meet up with my mobile provider, Event 8 (Trixlights Pro Sounds and Lights). We got a good deal at Php4,500 with free beam light or follow on spotlight. I paid 50% to reserve the date but will need to meet up again so I get to know who will be taking over. Bhong will be leaving end of the month to Switzerland kasi... hmmmm, ok lang naman kasi taga Paranaque lang sila.
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One less worry. Now i have to finalize my event stylist and florist. Might try to meet with Rey Darocca of Freshcuts to discuss my requirements. I will also be getting personalized table numbers from Espesyal Na Ngiti... dito ako excited pero nde pa budgetted yung gift ko sa mom and dad ko, yung table numbers i will have to keep from Sam kasi wala din sa budget pero i will get this one...
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What i am worrying right now would be the space of the hall. Baka with all the things i will be putting plus the tables and guests going around baka maging masikip ang hall.... haaayyy kasi naman nasaraduhan ako ng The Farm... ah ewan wala naman ako dancing eh. Though i wont make pigil to people who like to dance during the program. I know na rin kung ano entrance music namin ni Sam sa reception..." The Best Things in Life are Free" upbeat sya! Wish ko lang na sana may choreographed dance kami ni Sam upon entering... oh well!i Want my reception to be freeflowing i dont want to be too formal and too stiff. Sabi ko nga pala kay Bhong (mobile provider) last night na papalagay ako ng wireless microphone sa table namin ni Sam. hehehe wala lang.
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Ano nga kaya maganda beam light o follow on spotlight? free na daw ito sa amin ni Bhong as their gift, isip muna ako... hehehe...
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Updates

2006-03-07T13:37:00.000+08:00

I guess its time for me to list my updates.

Church: Our Lady of Fatima Parish - pencil booked, will pay as soon as we had our interview with the Parish Priest (confident i am, since i got to talked already to the parish priest and he even put our names down in his planner)
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Reception Venue: Dazo Hall Philam Clubhouse - fully paid. Blocked off the date for 2-11pm including set up and clean up.
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Caterer: Robert Camba - Paid DP and initial payment. Will discuss soon on the nitty gritty part
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Photo/Video: Paul Vincent - Paid DP and initial payment.
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Bridal gowns: Michi Calica - Paid in full, will meet by April for first fitting
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Entou gowns/Barong: Baclaran/Divi- will source out a good supplier
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HMUA: Chichi Sotomil - Paid DP
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Invites: Unifair- received quotation and will be beack by April for start of production
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Florist/Stylist: Steve Dorotan - will pay DP next week during our ocular session of the venue
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Wedding Preps: Bellevue- reserved 3 rooms for Sept 7-9
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Souvenirs: Konsepto - paid DP during bridal fair, will meet again soon on the layout.
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Guestbook: Color Me Mine - paid DP during bridal fair, will meet again for the layout
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Mobile: Trixlights Sounds and Lights - will meet this week and pay DP
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Honeymoon: Cebu Pacific/Pearl of the Pacific - booked flights and hotel
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Emcee/Singer: Tobbie Cadhit - in constant touch
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Cake: Alvarez Bakeshop - will send Liz picture of my cake and coordinate with her mom
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Rings: Melia Jewellry- received quote from Mike, will visit shop soon.
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Chocolate fountain: Theobroma - Will visit shop soon.
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Party poppers/confetti: Krystie Santiago - will send package soon.
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Projector : Konsepto - free
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AVP/Laptop: Friend
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Gifts for sponsors: coffee from Amadeo (male) and rosary bracelets (female)
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Placecards: Divisoria - worth 10 pesos each
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Gift for parents: wedding portrait (bride) and shirts?? (groom)
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Ano pa ba kulang ko???

Plans and more plans

2006-03-07T12:34:00.000+08:00

Last weekend we went to our last Bridal Expo in NBC Tent (the next one will be on September). It was my second time for a Bridal Expo and first for Sam. I was with my sister last year. All bridal fairs were of no comparison to the twice-a-year Bridal expo. There were far more suppliers and the freebies are overflowing! And we even won in the raffle! A two nights accomodation in Hilton Resort and Spa in Cebu. WAAAAAHUUUU!!! we were so excited to get this but upon opening this we realized its valid until July 2006... Hindi pa abot sa wedding date... pero ok lang we will just sell this na lang to friends. The Hilton in Cebu just opened last year and based on the pictures it was a high end hotel, kaya the 10K fee for a 2 nights accomodation is such a steal (plus am open for installment payments!). Anyhow, my former colleague and friend, Al Roxas was the first to say AYE! so i gave the voucher to him yesterday para less na worry ko. Pero up until now, may mga nag iinquire pa! hehehe sana highest bidder ko ginagaw! nyahahaha...
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At the expo, we booked several suppliers (a first for us!). KONSEPTO, who will be at our reception to take care of the souvenirs (booked 130 photo magnets for all guests). I paid Php 2,950 to block the date and to avail of the freebies like the PROJECTOR! at least am assured of a projector na during our reception, laptop and the AVP na lang kulang. Meme and Marvin even took photos of me and Sam as sample. Ganda ng lola nyo dun! nyahahaha parang fresh na fresh! hehehe... i guess ni reretoke din nila yun! hehehe...
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Next supplier we booked was Hearts and Bells for Jean's cake. It amounts to Php 7,125 for a 3-layered cake with 12 free mini cakes. Sarap ng cake nila! we deposited 500 to get the 5% discount. We were tempted to get din a cake topper from them where they get to sculpt your faces on a 3-4 inches clay. Ganda talaga kaso Sam said na its not a priority. Worth Php 3,800 if we book them on that day... oh well... buti na lang kasama ko si Sam, less nabook ko na din yun! hehehe..
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Last supplier we booked (na wala sa plano) was Color-Me-Mine wedding tile mural. I always loved the tile mural in place of a guest book. It will be used as a guestbook during reception that instead of them signing their names, they will have to put their thumbprints on the tiles and print their name. We got the 4 tile mural at Php 3k without framing and less 10% discount since we booked it on the spot. We got it at only Php 2,800. It was such a steal! Sam promised that he will take care of the framing of the tiles.
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Am so excited talaga on these bookings, as i was going home yesterday night and this morning on my way to work, i listed on my mine what activities my guests will be doing while waiting for us.

Wedding tile mural: guests will have the time of their life in putting their prints. hopefully they wont think am an NBI official or a CSI asking for prints! This would look good in our living room as decors. I should remember to put tissue and alcohol nearby where they can wash off the paint from their thumbs!
Marriage 101 tree: my "coordinators" will be going around with baskets of cut out leaves and asking guests to put in the best advise they can give us for one successful marriage. It can be serious, fun, crazy and silliest advise. The best advise will get a prize.
Photo Mosaic: to be given by Haj (Husband of Zac) as a gift. I will be providing magnifying glass for guests to appreciate the small photos involve in the pictures.
Photo Magnet Booth: This is where KONSEPTO comes in. They will be taking photos of our guests to serve as their thank you tokens which they can get after the reception. Again am planning to give a prize for the best pose. A CD of all the pictures will be given to us after the reception! talk about hiring a back up photographer na din! nyahahaha...
Pictures, portraits and trivia around: every table will have at least 2 framed pictures of us and a note or two to discuss where the photo was taken and a small trivia about us. All table have a different trivia so we encourage guests to go around the place and read all about it. Portraits of our childhood and growing up years will also be put on easel stands.
Chocolate Fountains: I will be borrowing another chocolate fountain machine from a friend to add to my own fountain (so there will be 2!). I will have a sweet and dark chocolate fountains to add up to my appetizers. Guess i will have to buy beer for the adults as well.

These are a few things i am thinking to occupy my guests while waiting for us. I am thinking of asking Elmer to emcee this waiting hour as Tobbie (my emcee/singer) gets to eat his dinner early! hahaha...

oh well! talk about being busy!

My halfday trip to Divi and other updates

2006-03-02T13:16:00.000+08:00

I went with Chiqui in Binondo and Divisoria last Saturday. We met at 8am and went to Binondo in search of Unifair. We got off sa circle then walked the length of Reina Regente. Unifair is a small shop at the back of Metrobank. There we met with Erwin and showed us sample. He seemed eager to show us everything. I feel he is a nice guy naman. He quoted us a reasonable price for a standard, traditional square invite. Perfect for my taste and budget. Told him we will be seeing him again sometime April. Hopefully this time with Sam.
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We left Unifair and headed towards Divisoria Mall. Sarap sana mamili. We also scoured Tabora street. daming choices. Dami ko din nabiling picture frames at yung mini frames to serve as my VIP name plates. I think i bought around 15 frames and i also bought na din gifts for my flower girls and bearer boys, cute picture frames with snow white for the girls and sylvester the cat for the boys.
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Next time i will be searching for swarovski cyrstals for my rosary beads and bling bling for my bouquet. And that will be in Quiapo! wherever that Wellmansons is...
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I am so looking forward to the Bridal fair in NBC tent this weekend. Will be booking my supplier for the photo magnets and cake for Jean.

What Ifs...

2006-02-21T16:31:00.000+08:00

What if

I have money to splurge for the wedding: i will have Tagaytay Wedding in Calaruega or a Baguio Wedding! and i will shoulder all dresses and shoes and accessories of my entourage even the principal sponsors!
I have money to splurge for the reception: i will have the reception in Fernwood gardens, reserving all 4 places (hala! Aiko ba pangalan ko?). I will divide my guests into 4 and group them in the 4 gardens. I will have ballroom dancing, jazz party, disco and live band parties in each 4 gardens. We will go garden hopping and dance the night away.
I have money to splurge for my honeymoon:we will go to Amanpulo to relax after the reception of course on a chartered plane where our guests will send us off. We will stay there for a few days to relax. Then we will go on our Europe tour for a couple of months! Coffee in Paris, Gondola ride in Italy, Beer drinking in Germany, Visit Santa Clause in Finland, Eating chocolates in Switzerland, Trying on a Kilt in Sweden and teasing the guards at the London Palace.
I have time on my hands: I would have turned back the time and married earlier and spend a couple of years with Sam without worrying about my biological clock.
I have a body to die for: I would have pose sexy in a Men's magazine and kept a dozen to show off to my kids when they are all grown up.
I have a face that can launch a thousand ships: I would have worked my a** off and get all commercials so i can save up. I will however do a scrapbook of all my print commercials and show to all my grandchildren on how flawless i was once been.
I have a brain like Albert Einstein: I would have been where i am now! bwahaha, joke! i guess i will just remain low profile, as they say, there is a thin line between a genius and a mental patient.
I was elected President of the country: i guess i will have my advisers take the reins and travel around the world and promote the country and get enough investments as i can, i will be overthrowed anyway. hahhaa
I am an AYALA: i would have asked Jaime to buy BPI main or the old insular and convert it in amulti level parking that offers flat rate for an 8 hour parking space.
I am a SY: i would have asked Henry to name a mall under my name and establish it inside Forbes Park or The Fort and for all tenants to have me as their model.
I am a GOKONGWEI: i will buid hotel and suites all over for my pet anaconda! hahaha...
I am the daughter of LUCIO TAN: I will buy my dad a whole new wardrobe that looks elegant and restrain him from getting barongs from our driver.

Eto lang muna, saka na uli pag may naisip ako! hehehe

Of Fairy tales and Weddings

2006-02-21T15:48:00.000+08:00

Preparing for a dream wedding is not an easy project. In contrast to our young girl's dreams, where putting a white gown and walking down the aisle is as easy as daydreaming, it is definitely not. From choosing the date, the ceremony venue, the gown, the flowers, the food, the entertainment, etc... every little detail has to be examined and every bit needs to be clear, ervything has to be weigh in.

Gone where the days where the bride has to wait until 18 years of age and the parents are tasked to choose her a suitable groom. Also, the grooms family has to shoulder all the expenses (wow! heaven), plus the family of th bride decides what to include, who to invite and what venue. All the thing the bride needs to do is sit back and pretty herself up.

Of course, that was ages ago! more like a little bit recent than the cave man lifestyles. That was before People Power! that was before GABRIELA! that was before the women's liberation was conceptualized. Nowadays, both the man and woman needs to save up for the wedding. I guess thats why most couple stay unmarried (living in) since they dont want the hassle of preparing a wedding to stress them out and be among those things they want to think about (with all the inflation, political, social, emotional aspects going on?) My goodness, as if things werent enough, you have to also think about the oil prices, or bomb threat, natural calamities and lotto results. And now you have to add wedding details to all that stress? No thanks! That is why in Vegas there is what you call a drive-thru wedding store where you can be wed in 10 minutes! Now that is what you can INSTANT!

Now why the hell am i getting married? i guess i needed the stress... i want a challenge! hahaha... can i answer that when our priest ask me that question? Of course not.

Since i was a little girl i have been dreaming of walking down a long aisle dressed in white and my knight-in-shining-armour waiting for me at the end. Oh! how i love fairy tales. I loved the gown of Cinderella when she attended the ball, even swore that i will have something made like that as my wedding gown. I like to ride the coach like Cinderella did, and have the dashing Prince charming swept me off my feet.

And reality sets in. I am not Cinderella, nor Snow White, nor Sleeping Beauty, far from that, i suppose. I never joined a beauty contest, nor did these princesses ever studied mathematics, lined up for a shuttle and eat streetfood. It has been months since i went to a beauty parlor. These princesses were kept inside the castle never seen a TV nor a DVD player in their lives. Werent allowed by their parents to go mountain climbing or bungee jumping. Gets me to think? what clothes do they wear when they go swimming? or are they allowed to do that too?

Am beginning to stray from the topic. all i am saying is I love my life now. I am happy getting stressed over my wedding preps. I enjoy little mishaps and bumps on my plans (tho a lot of times i grit my teeth over the tiniest mistake). I love thinking about it while am on the bus going home. I cherish the time when Sam and I are arguing over small details (what model is my bridal car or flowers on my bouquet or the guest souvenirs). In short, i love doing this! I know this might not turn out the perfect wedding we dream about but the exercise taught us a lot of things. It is a prelude of what we will go thru in life. Marriage is a big project. More like doing a project, you need to gather all resources first, it may not be complete, but it is how you use these things that can make your project beautiful. even though you have all the resources if you do not take care of these things, it will turn out bad.

Oh well, a few more weeks/months, and this project will be done. and the real project will be underway!

off topic again: Sam is definitely not Prince Charming nor my knight-in-shining-armour. He doesnt carry a sword nor slain dragons, He doesnt have the charms of a Prince nor a courage like a soldier. But he is the one God gave me and for me Sam is more than enough. Even though he is not my dream groom, he compliments me, laugh at my silly jokes,stay put when i go crazy and kiss me and hugs me when i needed some. That and more makes him perfect for me,because in the first place, i am not Cinderella nor any fairy-tale princess.

Expenses kept pouring in

2006-02-20T17:08:00.000+08:00

And i thought i can get away with a 150K dream wedding...
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Now my list of NICE-TO-HAVE has been piling up.
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Drapes
Before my wedding preps, i thought drapes are just for windows, now there is what you call, ceiling drapes! whaaaaat??? pati ba naman kisame tatakpan... haay... halos malaglag ako sa kinauupuan ko when Interplay quoted me 35K for ceiling to floor drapes and a minimum of 15K for partial draping... wala pa itong lighting... ambient lighting daw!!! waaaahhh... anu yun?
Lights and Sounds
I thought ok na yun sound system na provided ng caterer ko... haaay, dapat meron ako mga par lights to enhance the place... grabeeee another 5K eto.
Sparklers
since indoor na venue ko, i wated a few sparklers to welcome us in as the guests are already inside... cute sana yun... kaso another 1-2K eto...
Upgraded flowers
how beautiful it will be if i can have lots of flowers around...oh well... gotta stick to my original plan, besides... less is more...
Hotel venue
It would have been hassle free if i did have my reception in the hotel. At least sila na mag aayos ng place...haaaay...
Entourage dresses
kung pwede ko lang i sabay sa gown ko ang entourage dresses, pero wala na kami budget for this.

Ang daming gastos... ngayon pang ang hirap ng buhay... syempre nde lang naman kasal iisipin mo diba? anjan na ung bahay afterwards pati pera sa pagsisimula, savings, etc. Following are the things we are saving for after the wedding.

Processing fee for transfer of ownership: costs approximately 30-50K
Renovation: costs approximately 50-80K
Amortization: 10-15K monthly
Savings: 10K monthly
Appliances and Furnitures: 50K

Haaay... kaya kaya namin...?

Sonya's Garden Pictures

2006-02-16T12:46:00.000+08:00

Pictures taken from my camera while resting in one of the Cabanas in Sonya's Garden.
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hehehe
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Take a look at the complete pictures at our webshots.

http://community.webshots.com/user/sam_vinluan

Kallista Banquet Hall

2006-02-16T12:34:00.000+08:00

This is Kallista Banquet Hall. The venue i visited last monday. Nagpa pencil book na din ako... situated beside a school (Elizabeth Seton School) and at the second floor of the building. Ang hirap lang dito... WALANG PARKING! sayang...

From Forest to Pictures theme

2006-02-14T12:06:00.000+08:00

It seems am set to have my reception in a banquet hall or a clubhouse. So scrap na yung Mystical forest themed wedding ko. I guess i will really have to go traditional. Of course, i will insist on the set of my entourage...minimal but effective! I have to think about the wings tho, will it still fit the theme? or should i go ahead with my plans for the church and just change thing venue-wise? hmmmm...

Oh well, we will still go for Our Lady of Fatimah Parish on September 8. Wedding preps will still be in Bellevue hotel. Now am inclined to reserve the clubhouse of Philam Village for the event para my guests wont travel far na. at least once they parked na nde na sila aalis dun unless of course pag uuwi na sila.

One venue i checked yesterday was Kallista Banquet Hall. The Hall itself is really nice, it even has an indoor falls at the side plus may pedestal na for the presidential table. The toilets are nice as well. Ang concern ko nga lang would be the parking. Kallista Hall is in the 2nd floor (may gym sa baba) and the parking is sa street lang. tabing tabi pa sya ng Seton school. Note that my wedding is a friday, a school day! sobrang dami pang school bus nakakalat dun hirap kaya mag park.

I guess i will have to put luminaries na lang from the church to the venue since its just a few meters away lang naman. I dont have money for an event styling. I guess what i will just do is stick to a theme para i can get away with it (sana! sana!)

Picture and photo themed wedding... hmmm kakaiba, nuh ba yun! hehehe...

small picture frame as placecards for Principal Sponsors
Pictures of groups of people as table numbers
photo magnets as souvenirs
pictures as additional centerpieces
disposable cameras in individual tables
guest sheets with our prenup pictures
photo mosaic

What do you think? Can i pull this off?

My Turn to Vent - posted in W@W

2006-02-13T13:43:00.000+08:00

Last July 2005, we have reserved the venue for our Sept 2006 wedding.The Farm is located inside BF resort subdivision and is owned byCong. Villar. It was conveniently reserved for us for free (since I am from Las Pinas). It was a "favorite" venue for wedding and debutaround Las Pinas, a few wowies already had their reception there(lucky them).Since then, i have conceptualize and envisioned how my reception willturn out.
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I dropped by more than thrice to the venue just to makesure i did not miss a thing. I know where the buffet tables willbe,everypiece of luminaries, the tables, even the ice carving!Last Saturday, Dianne (secretary of Mrs. Villar) called up the house to let us know that the venue wont be available anymore since it willbe constructed to give way to... are you ready for this... extensionof a SUBDIVISION! and the construction will start ASAP. My hands got cold and i felt nauseous! Parang everything i worked for for the past months just somehow disappeared in front of me. Plus i built my theme around the venue.
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As you know, my "mystical forest theme" is built around the venue,PERFECT! my souvenirs, invitations, my entourage dresses, my set up,all seems to fall in that category.What made me love the venue is that they have a pavillion that canaccomodate most of my guests. Others will have to be in the garden(but they can very well view us in the pavillion). If in case itrains, i plan to rent out tents for them. There are already capiz lanterns available hanging on that big tree and it looked perfect fora wedding venue.
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Yeah my wedding wont be until September and i still have time to look for other venues. But finding a venue around Las Pinas is really difficult. Of course there are clubhouses and a couple of garden venues but nothing compared to the Farm.
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we visited a few namely;

Citadella Clubhouse (Php 5k pavillion, 6k garden): Located inCitadella Village, the clubhouse can accomodate 200 pax. its indoorwith an adjacent garden.

Pro: No need to rent out tents.Ample parking, Easy to locateCons: not so nice toilets, only have white flourescent lights, canaccept reservation for the garden if you will be renting just thepavillion and vice versa.side note: Sam is bent on getting this one and will just "plead" tomake it exclusive for us on the date of our wedding.

King Solomon's Garden (Php4.2K): Located inside BF Resort Villagenear the Farm)

Pro: Very nice garden with pavillionCon: Covered elevated pavillion can only accomodate 100 pax with fixstage and elevated areas. GUests around the garden wont have a viewof the pavillion, difficult to locate.

Ecotrend Gardens (Php 10K): Located in Zapote

Pro: garden with a small pavillion, newly constructed by Sept(currently under renovation), easy to locateCon: Expensive, pavillion can only accomodate 50 pax, need to renttents for guestsI

have not gotten to call Italia Country Club. Has anyone asked fortheir rates and if they accept outside catering services? Note that i already paid my dp and initial payment to Robert Camba Catering since last year.I did not budget for an event styling nor did i budget for venue expenses. so getting a venue would be an additional expense. I thought i can get away with my "minimal" budget and still have mydream wedding. I cant afford to have an event styling, plus i dont want to stress my friends in designing the place pa.

So as of now,bahala na caterer ko to fix the place up.Since saturday i feel so low, nde nga ako nakatulog nung saturdaynight. I am starting to feel "just-get-it-over-with" kinda feeling.Yung parang you dont care, basta makasal at makakain na mga guestsmo, pwede na. To think i have a few gimmicks in store (wish tree,photo mosaic, sparklers, disposable cameras, torch parade, etc).Siguro nga you cant have it all. At talagang lalabas at lalabas mgaproblema as the day gets near. Oh well. i guess i have to accept it,ganun talaga eh, kakadisappoint at kakafrustrate lang kasi magandas ana yung mga ideas ko.haaay i think i just have to vent out.

Sonya's Lunch

2006-02-13T12:55:00.000+08:00

i am doing this all over again as i was about to press PUBLISH, it was just gone!!! waaaahhh i guess today is not my day!

Last Thursday, i started to reserve our pre valentines date in Sonya's Garden. Initially i searched for a place here in manila (Top of teh Citi, Bellevue, Antipolo). However i find it too expensive to go to these places So i opted to surprise Sam by bringing him to Sonya's Garden (it wasnt a first for me here but it was sooo long ago that i had been here that i cant even remember). I will be shouldering the expenses as i lost our bet on the Pacquiao-Morales fight last Jan 22. We were bent on going out on Valentines day but my mom have other plans. She wanted all of us together with our partners to spend valentines day at home and just chip in for the food. She even covered the entertainment part by borrowing our tita's magic mic! so everyone has got to sing a song! hahaha patay si Sam at Emer!

I picked up Sam in San Pedro and he took the reins (hehehe nde po kabayo dala ko, sya lang nag drive!). Ang layo pala ng Sonya's hahaha... grabeeee lampas pa pala ng residence inn... waaahhh... buti na lang nde ako nag dadrive. When we get there, we were shown to our table and had the fabulous lunch! we were so full. Sam ate 5 corn on the cobs. i loved the mangoes! i like the pasta and the tea. All for Php 560 per head. If we didnt have a caterer we could have gotten Sonya's garden as a venue for our wedding... oh well.

After lunch we roam around the place and took crazy pictures. We were in one of those cabanas and rested while taking pictures. I will post some photos soon.

We left Sonya's around 2pm and went to Mahogany Market looking for this certain gulay that Sam bought before. We failed to find that gulay and instead bought pineapples. We then traveled to Amadeo to visit my co-teacher Bani Ambion. Sam enjoyed the place as he has huge dobberman dogs na sobrang lambing! hahaha nakakatakot tignan pero malambing! hehehe. They even get to eat flowers! favorite nila yung gumamela! hehehe...

We were surprised to find out that Amadeo is the coffee capital of the Philippines and Figaro gets to import coffee beans from there. And so we thought, y not give coffee na lang to our principal sponsors? hmmmm... considering, considering!

After our trip to Amadeo, Bani accompanied us to cafe amadeo branches to look for his friend so we can talk to him and ask for discount on the coffee. Not finding him, we just bought coffee from the store and will just taste it at home before giving it as a souvenir.

The trip was like a breath of fresh air. At least it was a time off from wedding preps and taking my mind off our venue or the lack of it.

We ended the day by hearing mass and headed home for dinner.

Sam hugged me and whispered "I love you, i enjoyed the dinner and everything willbe alright!" Just the words i needed to hear...

Gifts, Tokens and Souvenirs

2006-02-10T15:12:00.000+08:00

Finally, i am now dead set in getting MINI WINES for all my entourage including parents gift. Its a 100 bucks each including a personalized label for all guests. Minimum order is 24 pieces so it will cover for all.
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I will be buying wine glasses and rosaries for the male and female sponsors respectively. Plus packaging for these tokens...
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Initially i am hoping to spend 6k for all tokens and gifts, but with this i think it will only cost me around 4K for everything.
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I plan to give my parents their wedding portrait on their anniversary na lang (Oct 28)
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7 Ninongs (miniwine and wineglass)
7 Ninangs (miniwine and rosary bracelet)
1 MOH (miniwine and rosary bracelet)
1 BM(miniwine and wineglass)
1 HA (miniwine and wineglass)
2 Family of the Groom (miniwines and wineglasses)
2 Family of the Bride (miniwines and wineglasses)
1 Commentator (miniwine and wineglass)
3 Readers (miniwine)

Total of 25 = @100 each = Php 2,500
Packaging & wineglass & rosaries = Php 1,500

PWEDE!!!

... Fears...

2006-02-09T12:36:00.000+08:00

For the past days, a realization struck me on my upcoming wedding... I AM REALLY GETTING HITCHED! only a few more months and i will be with someone who will also have a say on my life... aside from my parents whom i grew up with, this person is a whole new persona whom i just happen to know for the past year/months. Someone whose upbringing, values, perspective, thinking is way different from mine. Someone i will be living my life with, sharing all my waking hours, sharing my bed at night, consulting in all my decisions, and even feeding off my plate (hehehe exaggerations!) But really, am i ready to entrust this one person the freedom and liberty i am enjoying for more than 30 years...

YES!

hahaha... i guess people in love are that crazy to give up all the luxuries in life. With the one

"I,do" exchanged in the matrimonial ceremony everything changes. that two words means so much more. Very powerful than I love you I guess. It means you are COMMITTING to be with your partner for the rest of your lives... bwahahaha... REST OF YOUR LIFE! grabeee... cant imagine that... lets say average life span of human is 60 years... i cant believe i will be spending all of my 9,870 days with this person (of course if you get to have time off once in awhile). TAGAL nun ha... hehehe... kung sa Big brother house nga they cant stand each other for 100 days... yung 9 thousand plus plus pa kaya...

Being single at 32 years of age thought me a lot of things. I know how to be independently dependent. Yes, i still live with my parents up until now but in all my 32 years of existence there were a few times i left the house (college, MBA and work related). However, today i am living with them and enjoying the pamperings my parents and siblings extended to me (hinahatid sa shuttle, sinusundo pag umuulan, pinagiinit ng tubig, washing my car, cooking my food, doing the laundry, cleaning my room, etc) Really this is just heaven. All i do at home is lay back and watch tv, sleep or read my pocket books... hehehe, a life of a princess. I also get to go out with friends at a snap of a finger (especially if its just after pay day), check out new restaurants, new bars, eat whatever i want, watch movies, plays, theaters, go to the gym, lounge in spa, parlor or even go to the gym. I can buy what i want, new celfone, new clothes, jewelries (though am not a fashionista, ever!) i can splurge on a lot of things. i can even treat out my friends once in a while... wow! what a life.

And all these things i will compromise for just this one person...

Saying that powerful words, gets me to think if i am capable and ready to be a good wife, a good mother to our kids, can i still be the same Emma he fell in love with after say 1000 days or 5000 days? How will my kids see me? will i be the disciplinarian, an absentee mom, or a cool mom? Can i still retain my personality against all forces? Will my smile be the same or for that matter, can i still smile amidst all problems and heartaches? Will our relationship be threaten by other parties? How will i take it? Am i ready to go thru pregnancy, heartaches, disappointments, frustrations? Can i wake up early in the morning to prepare breakfast, will i able to shuss my baby from crying out loud in the middle of the night, can i do laundry even if the washing machine is broken, can i iron barong, polo and hard-to-iron clothes, can i sleep late waiting for him to come home from work or from a gimik? Can i compromise my endless parties especially during xmas season? Can i say No to my friends? Can i resist the temptation of buying new things?

I WILL

All these because i said "I do".

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I do not fear being with my Sam. I do not fear the marriage. I fear for myself. I guess all my 32 years hasnt prepared me for this. but life is a continuous learnings, with faith in our Lord, love in my heart, patience and perseverance, everything will turn out fine.

all the 9 thousand days... i will live for one day at a time i guess. making each day memorable and meaningful.

And yes, i was among those little girls dreaming of this and now it is finally happening. No MBA project has the formula for a worry free marriage and family life. I need to learn this as a baby is learning its way to walk, a toddler to write, a kid thru its mathematics, a young girl as to being pretty and now a woman being a wife and mother.

KAYA KO ITOH!

All i know and all i feel is I never felt so in love and so much loved by Sam. I will take care of him and i feel that he will take care of me, together we will discover a lot of things in each other and in life. It may not be a walk in the clouds, nor a bed of roses, more like bed of thorns but we will survive, i believe, i have faith, we are ready to say "I DO".

FLOWERS, Flowers and more flowers...

2006-02-07T17:24:00.000+08:00

A post in W@W made me think of how can i still budget my flower expenses. I know flowers are nice to look at and will make my pictures very beautiful... pero they wilt and weathered and cannot be preserved (unless i spend a fortune in preserving them)...so to make my wedding more personalized with no extra costs, i decided to be the only one in my wedding to have a BOUQUET

Then for my Flower Gurls... its pomander balls and headresses

Am thinking of basket of flowers for offering but my MOH to carry it during the entourage march and a flower purse for picture taking.

While corsage or wristers for my female principal sponsors. Maybe buttonieres for the men.

And for my mom maybe a flower fan or just 3 piece calla lilies would do... hmmmm

Oh well so the listing includes.

1 Bridal Bouquet (Liliums, berries, carnations, roses)

1 Stargazer (Bridal hair accessory)

1 Mom's Breast Corsage (roses)

1 Maid of Honor Basket of Flowers (roses & mums)

7 Principal sponsor wristers (lilies & mums)

3 Flower Girls pomander balls (mums)

4 Headresses for FG and MOH (mums)

1 Throw away Bouquet (mums)

Loose petals

Hoping to have all these for 3k or less...

Story of a Bridal Fair and a DVD Player!

2006-02-07T16:11:00.000+08:00

Again i was successful in pulling (read: forcing) Sam to go with me to the bridal fair last weekend at Rockwell Powerplant Mall... hehehe also i managed to invite my sister and her bf to go with me... (syempre ni register ko din sila). Ang maganda pa, kotse ni Emer ang ginamit! tipid na ako sa gas, tipid pa sa parking! YAHUUUU... hehehe

It was the couple's first time in Rockwell kaya mega tour namin sila dun... na star struck din cause we saw a few celebrities like armida siguion reyna! hahaha aawitan kita, julius and his tintin (i remember to put in the "n"... very dangerous!), jackielou blanco, meagan aguilar and my brother and his nevermind... there's a good feeling upon seeing my brother... miss ko na yun maski ganun yun... especially pag weekend lumalabas kami at sya ang driver! hehehe... i rather not put here bakit ako nabadtrip uli last weekend,.. this is suppose to be a fun blog!

oh well, nothing much happened sa fair, nakakain lang kami ng libre c/o VS&F hahaha... i inquired kasi for my friend (and dahil din yakag ng yakag si Sam) who will be having her reception sa wack wack... excuses! free food din yun nuh! Sam absolutely love the grilled blue marlin and i love the tempura and spareribs... masarap lahat! grabee... nde na nga ako nag dinner.

I also bought a DVD player at long last hahaha... dami ko dvd sa bahay i cant watch kasi wala kami player, naghihintay ng computer where to watch it... hehehe... kaya ngayon lumuluwa mata namin ni Elaine sa CSI marathon! hehehe...

Entourage Gifts

2006-02-03T14:30:00.000+08:00

hmmmm... entourage gifts...

am thinking of giving my principal sponsors, Wines for the male and rosaries for the female entourage. I want the wines personalized and the rosary beads based on their birth months.

For the MOH, i will be giving rosary bracelet and mini wine for the BM.

For the little gurls, i want a stuff toy with a bridal veil. Am still thinking about gifts for the little boys... if it gets too expensive i will just give them chocolates and let their mommies worry about cavities hehehe...

For the commentator and honour attendant and maybe for the readers as well, mini wines and rosaries.

For my parents, i will be giving them a portrait. I dont think they have a portrait of themselves in the house...

For the family of Sam, maybe branded polo shirts.

For the guests, i will still stick it out with the fortune plants. hehehe.. might as well do the shot glass thing...

Hope this will get Sam's approval...hehehe proposal pa lang ito...

place cards galore!

2006-02-01T14:58:00.000+08:00

Am obsessed with finding the right place cards... i love this one... sana nga lang makakita ako ng ganito sa Divi na mura... ang cute diba? match pa sa theme ko... hmmm...

Miss my Sam!

2006-01-25T16:58:00.000+08:00

I miss na my Sam...

Ewan ko ba... kahapon lang kami magkasama, pero namimimiss ko na ang mokong! grabeee ginayuma na talaga ako... or maybe i have too much time on my hands and am doing planning for our wedding here in the office... i know i have too many things to do pero i dont know where to start. nde ko alam kung worth it ba yung mga kaartehan ko kasi baka nde naman maimplement sayang lang at baka mainis lang ako...

oh well... basta i miss my SAM!

A few more inspirations

2006-01-25T16:34:00.000+08:00

Am really torn on how am i going to implement my MYSTICAL FOREST themed wedding. Its a slash on being a barn themed to a filipiniana themed wedding... hmmm... plus am hindered on my budget constraints... how will i do it? i got lots of ideas but i cannot just delegate it to anyone... ang hirap... wala pa naman ako coordinator... waaaahhh if only i can do astral projection (during homily, to take care of the reception! hehehe)

Happy Together!

2006-01-17T16:46:00.000+08:00

I absolutely LOVE this shot! if only we knew it would come out this way we could have done this pose a lot... we looked so happy and we seemed to be enjoying our pictorials... yes! we are! cant you feel the happiness and love that exudes from this photo... hahaha oo na mushy na... i cant help it!

pero in fairness ang hirap kaya ng pose na ito... we are smiling like this not because or not only we are in love but because naduduling na kami kakatitig sa isat isa... try nyo kaya! hehehe...

Basta, i really love this shot!

Portrait Shot

2006-01-17T16:35:00.000+08:00

Pang portrait ba ito? hehehe... considering having this for our photo mosaic... hang sweet! hehehe...

What Else...?

2006-01-14T14:49:00.000+08:00

what else am i missing... i got the church, reception, caterer, gown, rings, cakes, etc...covered... now am still racking my brains out for any other things am missing...

Am also contemplating in renewing my contract with Southville or take a leave of absence for one term... The only time for me to do my preps is Saturday... hmmm... may mga seminar pang kung ano ano... haaayyy...

We have to make asikaso the townhouse we intend on buying... i need at least 30 grand for the renovation... we need to submit all reqts sa bank or sa Pag ibig kaya? hmmm...

Sam needs to be confirmed ASAP... ano ba requirements? yung walk in lang syempre pupuntahan namin... he needs to have his passport ready then within the quarter...

Valantines is fast approaching... san kaya maganda mag date? hmmm... ano kaya regalo sa akin ni Sam... hehehe...Gusto ko sa Top of the Citi, sa Antipolo or sa Bellevue...or sa anniversary na lang namin kami punta dun? hmmm...

I need to lose weight ASAP... grabee i havent been using my gym membership siyet! sayang ang pera ko... hehehe

ano pa ba? actually am having a grand time preparing for my wedding... hahaah... ewan ko ba siguro i just wanted to organize things... simple lang pero rock... can i do it? can i do the surprise number i am planning during my wedding... waahhh till now i dont think i can... pero i will! hehehe

2006-01-11T16:02:00.000+08:00

POsted in W@W last January 9, 2006...

I dunno why i am posting a message on reminding myself of things todo and things i have accomplished. Guess tamad lang ako mag updateng blog ko mas binubuksan ko pa ito kesa dun eh. actually it has beenmonths since i updated my blog...

heniwey, following are the things i have accomplished so far.

- Got our Save the Date magnetic cards from PRINTED MATTER lastDecember. Able to send a few abroad and we are on the process ofdistributing more.

- Reserved OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH CHURCH. Able to talked with theParish Priest late last month and he already put it in his newplanner.

- Confirmed availability of THE FARM, already reserved. Been to thevenue several times for ocular (with and without wedding set up)

- Made downpayment with ROBERT CAMBA CATERING SERVICES. Been to several food tasting events. hehehe...

- Reserved PAUL VINCENT for his photo and video services.

- Won the MICHI CALICA gown in the W@W Auction. Already made payment to W@W.

- Had HMUA trial with CHICHI SOTOMIL and already pencil booked herservices

- Already commissioned my friend (TOBBIE CADHIT) to sing for me(church and reception)

- Bought vouchers for BELLEVUE for 2 night wedding preps.

- Bought vouchers for 2 sessions of IDP

- Bought Unity Candle

- Able to find wedding jewelries

- Already drafted a program for both church and reception ceremonies(subject to change and approval)

- Started doing the Missalette (already chosen preferred readings)

- Won one night accomodations in Pearl of the Pacific (will justextend stay for 2 more nights)

To do list

- Pay Church, Robert Camba Catering and Chichi Sotomil this January
- Finalized set up and bridal car arrangements with Robert Camba
- Set day for Prenups with Paul Vincent and pay 50%
- Commissioned a lights and sound supplier this January (Trixlightsand Sounds)*
- Meet with Michi Calica on gown design
- Go to Dangwa or Laon Laan to source out florist.
- Meet with the Church florist for instructions
- Canvass invitations (able to shortlist 2: Unifair and HandcraftedExpressions)
- Source out Entourage dresses (1 MOB, 1 MOH, 3 FG)*
- Source out Barongs for h2b and his entourage (1 FOG, 1BOG, and 3 BB)*
- Find shoes, tiara, coin and arrhae boxes*
- Look for pianist for church (will ask a friend on this)
- Collect 13 pcs 10-peso coins (2005 version)*
- Will get from Tanya some votive candles
- Have to buy sparklers *(i need supplier for this!)
- Need to collect xmas lights or look for supplier for this.
- DIY Wedding Favors ( fortune plant for guests), more luminaries,place cards, table numbers, wish cards.
- Find printer suppliers for Guest sheets and Missalettes*
- Buy personalized wines for Male PS and will order Swarovskibracelet rosaries for Female PS, toys or chocolates for little kids,gifts for BM and MOH and Parents*
- Meet with Marianne, Annie and Gon for wedding coordinator services(reception and church)

Sponsored Items- Wedding rings : Mom- Cake: Liz (friend)- Photo Mosaic : Haj (friend)- AVP : Jun (friend)- Disposable cameras and party poppers : Kristie (friend)- Chocolate Fountain : Mariel and Al (friends)

Eto na lang muna... i do hope you can help me on my to do list especially those with *. Appreciate your suggestions.Initially, i just wanted to list down my suppliers, pasensya na at napahaba...

Link to pictures

2006-01-11T15:18:00.000+08:00

http://community.webshots.com/user/sam_vinluan

All inspirations are posted here...

Hope we can implement these things.

Here I go again!

2006-01-11T15:08:00.000+08:00

Happy New year...

i guess i did forget how to go about this... dunno why... just got busy... anyhow... hope i cant maintain this site at least for my own sanity...

Only a few more months before the BIG day... am not yet pressured... not yet! but am bound to be... am sure... ako pa... pero pag pressured ako i go thru a process... ta tahimik, tapos maiinis, tapos mapapraning, tapos magwawala! nyahahaha... nde naman... basically i will just go crazy and super laugh trip ako... as in...

Cant wait for September...

My Save The Date Magnets

2005-09-08T15:35:00.000+08:00

Here are the two designs which Printed Matter sent me to choose from. Actually i wanted to incorporate our pictures here so that relatives from the states get to know and recognise me... hmmm... cute... worth it naman yung 300 design fee i paid them. Sana may picture nga lang din nakalagay and larger name prints... hmmm...

Same Time Next Year...

2005-09-08T15:22:00.000+08:00

Yup... exactly a year from now, i will be tying the knot... oh well... i cant wait... Here are my updates on the wedding preps...

Church: Our Lady of Fatima Parish - Reserved the church but no calendar yet for next year.
Reception: The Farm - Sent letter for reservation, as per Tita Julie, ok na
Caterer: Robert Camba Catering - Paid DP 5K
Bridal Car: Robert Camba Catering - Included in the package
Invitations: Printed Matter - Finalizing Save-The-Date magnets, trying to find cheaper suppliers
Photo/Video: Paul Vincent - Paid DP 5K
Gowns: Evelyn Moneda - Referral from Malou - quoted 6K for my gown
Mobile/Lights: Trixlights- awaiting quotes from other suppliers to compare
Wedding Preps: Bellevue - Got membership card for 5.5K

Others
Florist: Dangwa
HMUA: Referred by Jill (Davids Salon)
Souvenirs/Gifts: Divisoria

DIY
Souvenirs
Missalettes
Cord
Table numbers
Guest sheets/Wish cards
Unity candle
Luminaries

Sponsored
Wedding Rings : c/o Mom
Cake: c/o Liz
Party poppers/disposable camera: c/o Tutay

Wishlist
Wedding Preps hotel (4,300)
Unity Coins (2,300)
Guest Sheets printing (2,800)
Photomosaic (3,000/9,400)
Color Me Mine Plate (1,500)
Choco Fountain (5,000)

Haaayyy kaloka... unti unti para pagdating ng Sept 2006 ok na ako... hopefully

2005-08-30T11:14:00.000+08:00

THURSDAY : I was dead sick! i cant move a muscle... shucks! sick leave ako... planning to go to Bellevue to see the place. Syempre nde na naka alis ang lola kasi nga i wasnt feeling well. Bad trip talaga si Rose, pamatay ang work out! hahaha,,.. i missed pa naman Emy's class... enjoy pa naman ako sa class nya... oh well... Sam brought me donuts. hehehe...

FRIDAY: Suppose to have dinner with Chiqui and Des, napurnada because Des was hesitant as she will be coming from Laguna daw, at baka ma late. After saying yes na sa mga ka ofcmate ko for a round of drinks, Des texted na ok daw sya, of course i cant back out. Plus nde na available yung car ko kasi may topak na naman ang busina. End up having a couple of drinks with my ofcmates which left me tipsy... been months since i drank alcoholic beverages... sabi tuloy ni Sam, last ko na daw pag inom nun... sabagay, i only drink occasionally at pag feel ko... nde naman kawalan yun...

SATURDAY: I finished class... no preps for my classes... sobrang tamad ako... cant wait for it to finish... hahaha considering ako pa teacher ha... hehehe.. i dismissed the class at 3pm, went home had a haircut tapos tambay na sa bahay. Since na ta traffic pa si Sam mejo petiks pa ako sa bahay. I hahatid daw namin mommy ko sa Bayview Hotel at may meeting at walang available car na maghahatid sa kanya. I was supposed to pick up a fellow w@w --- Rhea in Mcdonalds Roxas Blvd kaso at the last minute nag back out sya, traffic daw sa lugar nila... i was the one who drove last saturday... binaybay namin Roxas Blvd, Espana at E Rodriguez... grabeee ang traffic hirap pa mag drive kasi umuulan. Upon reaching Aurora Blvd, nahanap ko din Oasis... umaambon pa nun time na yun... hayyy... syempre late na kami dumating past 7pm na. Sam was hungry na so in E. Rod nag drive in muna kami sa Mcdo... hahhaa wawa naman loves ko...

Back to Oasis... ang saya, kasi at least madami ding couples. kumain din si Sam dun, tinikman mga food hahaha.. dun lang ata sya enjoy eh. We kinda participated a few games pero nde naman kami nagtagal. I just wanted to see the people i get to correspond with, tsaka i have to get my tag. I gave Sam the free shirt para masuot nya sa duty nya...

SUNDAY

I woked up at 5am to meet up with my co faculty to go to Tanza Cavite. Fiesta kina Dr. Albert Lupisan-Dean of College. Its good to meet up with my co faculty, daming kalokohan at katuwaan. hahaha... nag siksikan kami sa lite ace ni Sir Gerry and we are 11 all in all. Daming food kina doc Albert... sobrang kain ginawa namin... breakfast, meryenda at lunch. Tinuruan pa nya kami mag mahjong! hahaha... ang saya! ganun pala yun... sana wag ko makalimutan...

Nasa Las Pinas na kami ng 12 noon, and i was dropped off sa SM Southmall to meet up with Sam. Pinaayos namin yung watch nya na regalo ko and we bought a few things then we went home na. Sam cooked dinner for the family (veggies again with his "damo-damo") and vaccinated Brix. While i on the other hand, slept sa sala and waited for him to finish! i was so tired... grabe!

We heard mass at 6PM in Our Lady of Fatima Church in Philam together with mom, elaine, emer and erwin. After dinner at home, finootspa ko si Sam while he cut my fingernails... o diba sweet! Aside from my mom(and manicurista, of course), no one has ever cut my fingernails for me. He was so engrossed in the task i could have kissed him then. He even claimed he never cut fingernails of anyone yet. He just loves me so much to do it for me... nakks... haba ng hair ng lola mo!!

An Effective Entourage

2005-08-23T17:00:00.000+08:00

Hmmm... slowly i am finalizing details for my wedding. As i have visualized my wedding years ago, i only want a small but functional entourage where everyone has a part to play in my wedding.

Following is the list of prospective entourage and the function i intend them to do during the church rites.

Flower Girls
Annika Posadas - distribute flowers to guests
Renee Calderon - distribute flowers to guests
Caithlin Almoro - assigned to give the bouquet to the bride

Bearer Boys
John Aaron Merza - Ring bearer
Joshua Almoro - Bible bearer
Dylan Fragante - Coin bearer

Principal Sponsor (Women)
Nanette Korkiakoski - Responsorial Psalm
Marlyn Briton - First Reading
Julie Regalado - Flowers
Angie Andaya - Cruets
Marcela Corpuz - Fruits

Principal Sponsor (Men)
Felipe David - Prayer of the Faithful
Antonio Reyes - Chalice
Atong Corpuz - Second Reader
Manuel Corpuz - Unity Candle
Gilbert Albia - Cyborium

Maid of Honor
Elaine Pasigan- Candle

Best Man
Jobert Albia - Candle

Parents of the Bride
Eduardo Pasigan - Veil
Daisy Pasigan - Veil

Family of the Groom
Florentino Vinluan - Cord
Geronimo Vinluan - Cord

hmmm... you think this is possible... of course i have not yet asked these people on their roles nuh.

Another find - Gown

2005-08-23T10:32:00.000+08:00

I found this gown in one of the webshots i visited. So all in all i have three gowns to choose from. hmmm... bahala na kung ano bagay sa akin... basta ang gusto ko may sleeves.

I like to project to be a "Diwata" in my mystical forest themed wedding... nde Ina Magenta ha... pero a sort of goddess...

do you think i may have an effect if i wear a gown like this?

Which of the three is the best?

hmmm...

Eto na ba talaga!

2005-08-22T14:19:00.000+08:00

We had a hectic day last Saturday.

'twas my honey's bday. Nasira lang plano ko to surprise him early morning kasi his barkada wanted to have "inuman" with the bday boy. Ayun inumaga na naman sila... nde ko na nga alam kung what time nakauwi. pero nung nagtext ako ng 4am, abah eh sumagot na nasa clinic na daw sya... hahaha huli... eh kung kanina pa sya andun eh di sana tulog na tulog na sya by that time... anyway, oks lang bday naman nya kaya pinagbigyan ko na... so my plan to be there by 530am eh inadjust ko na ng 830am para makatulog sya ng mahimbing.

When i arrived at 8:30am, knowing that he was still asleep, andun na si Edith having her breakfast. Ayun, ako gumising sa loves ko. HEHEHE he looked wasted... amoy alak pa... nuh ba yun... oh well... loves ko naman kaya kiniss ko pa rin sya.

I brought him breakfast kaya at least nakakain sya. We went to the other clinic before going home sa kanila. Unfortunately wala pa auntie nya kasi hinatid si Lynette. When his auntie arrived at around 11am, ayun nagkagulo na... mainit ulo ng auntie nya kaya nagkasagutan sila ni sam. mukhang ayaw nga magluto. abah maski na nandun ako eh nag aaway sila. natakot ang lola at nde na kumibo. nagpaalam na lang kami ni sam to go to our other appointment. wawa naman loves ko kasi nde man lang binati ng auntie nya. so we went to his friends house just to give mamon... hehehe kakahiya. then we went to Robert Camba for food tasting (lunch) and payment of the downpayment (5K). Food was good. accomodating ba ni Robert Camba at Connie. Sana nga maski hanggang next year ok sila kausap. nagustuhan naman ni sam yung food.

Next in line, we went to Printed Matter. Ok naman sila kausap, mejo napamahal lang kami sa STD kasi 1,320 an singil sa amin. pero maganda naman kaya oks lang. next year na lang kami mag uusap on the design ng invites kasi nga naman maaga pa. Blockbuster ang Printed Matter. Daming couples... hehehe... feeling ko nga puro W@W mga tao dun eh.

Then we went to hear mass sa Shrine of Jesus in Macapagal Ave., 5:30-6:30pm. then we went straight home. Pagdating sa bahay, my famiily was about to have dinner with the mom and sister of my sister's bf. Dun na lang namin cinelebrate ang bday ni sam with cake ice cream and pancit.

After dinner, we went straight to Mandarin Oriental hotel to watch Diva to Diva (kuh and zsa zsa). We did not finished the show kasi Sam was so tired. (ako na nag drive from Las Pinas to Makati and back). Nakaka awa naman itsura ng loves ko para lang ma please ako kaya sumama sa concert.

He loved my gifts and he said i made his bday complete. nakks drama!

Back in each other's arms...

2005-08-19T10:28:00.000+08:00

And after the storm, light shines through...

Yes, our kadramahan is finally over, though syempre mejo nagkaiyakan (ako lang pala) kagabi... kasi nag iinarte ang lola nyo... at ang magaling kong bf eh super naiinis sa akin na binabaan ako ng fone! tama ba yun? ayaw daw nya ako umiiyak kasi naiinis sya, eh naiiyak ako pag naiinis sya! pano yun? hmmmm... ahhh ewan... i guess we have to live with it.

As opposed to the previous night, he texted me after we put down the fone and texted that he loves me and doesnt want any more misunderstanding and asking me to understand him. He will try not to get mad easily. I guess we need to learn to adjust and accept each others "twirks" and "quirks" to make this work... Marriage is a continuous learnings, without these, we will be bored out of life.

I brought my car today, bad trip! walang busina at walang aircon! kainisssss... i did not use the car naman for almost a month tapos ganun yung condisyon... haaaayyy... i am not comfortable naman driving without a busina... ako pa maingay ako sa kalye. Ang init pa! waaaahhh... maaga pa alis ko tomorrow... ano kaya dadalhin ko kay Sam for breakfast? bibili na lang ako tinapay at lulutuan ko na lang sya ng itlog o ham at coffee... syempre wag ko dapat makalimutan ang cake! hehehe... excited na ako sa bday ng love ko... hehehe dami ko regalo, perfume and watch.

I miss him. I love the guy. I pray we get to sustain this passion we are feeling.

NOT SO GOOD

2005-08-18T17:16:00.000+08:00

I was finishing my post for the day when my PC just shut down for no reason... grrrrrr...

anyway, to start all over again...

Since last night Sam and I were not yet texting/talking. It started with me telling him that i will be dropping by a friend's house but instead i went to SM and bought him a gift. His bday is on saturday and i got him a brand new watch. I just hope he will like it.

Anyway, when i got to SM i texted him that am already in Chiqui's house (chiqui was in SM waiting for me for she will accompany me in buying a gift and mag chichika chika) and told him that i will just text him when i get home. Same as always, he kept on texting me but i just ignored his texts cause its just "ignoreable" text like ingat ka, uwi ka maaga, etc.

As soon as i got home, i texted him that am home na. No reply. I sent him several more messages hoping he will notice his phone. no reply. I kept on texting him for the next hour, still no reply. I am starting to get scared and worried of what might have happen to him. For the past few days their area was not the safest inthe world. I tried calling him at the clinic expecting him to be there already but no one was answering the phone. I cant even get thru his celfone. I WAS WORRIED SICK!

A little past 11PM he texted me saying he is on his way to the clinic. I texted him back telling him i was worried and i was upset of him getting back to the clinic that late and him not texting me for hours. I guess my text was kinda strong he was surprise how big a deal it was to me. He ask why i got angry with such intensity when i should know daw that he did a lot of things pa sa house and i never heard a word from him when he was texting me kanina with me not answering his texts. I flared up and texted him back na gumaganti ka ganun? but i mellowed down and explain why i got so angry. i was scared.

To cut the long story, he said for me to sleep over my anger na lang since he is already at home. I replied na "Sorry if you consider me being worried sa yo a sin, yamo next time nde na ako mag aalala". Then he replied to me " Bahala ka, gudnyt". I was so furious and texted him " OO, simula ngayon bahala na talaga ako sa buhay ko" After that no text na, hanggang ngayon.

I dont know if i am really pushing for a fight para mas sweet sa bday nya cause am preparing for a surprise. Pero i got what i planned for, pati sya nagalit na sa akin. Nde ko sya te text lalo pa ngayon na may dinner meeting ako. Paninindigan ko na bahala talaga ako sa buhay ko and i will let him feel how it is to worry.

i was tempted several times to finally text him, pero i will hold on and try not to text him. haaay... what love can do... it makes us do crazy things and it molds us to a person we swore we wont ever be.

Di bale am preparing naman a birthday surprise for him and am excited na on Saturday. I just hope he will like my surprises.

What can i do I love him dearly.

Itinerary by Saturday

2005-08-17T11:25:00.000+08:00

I will have a full day on Saturday, August 20. Aside from its Sam's bday, we will be "touring" Quezon City to book suppliers and check out their stuffs.

What i am planning for Saturday, August 20.

4AM: Wake up and prepare breakfast for SAM
5AM: Travel to Muntinlupa and surprise SAM with a cake, my gift and his breakfast!
8AM: Go to Uniwide with SAM and buy stuff
9AM: Go home to San Pedro with SAM and cook food
1130AM: Lunch
1PM: Distribute Pancit to his barkada
2:30PM: Home for meryenda
3PM: off to QC
4PM: Robert Camba
7PM: off to Makati for Dinner
8PM: Dinner... hmmm san ko kaya i dinner si SAM?
9:30PM: Kuh Ledesma and Zsa zsa Padilla concert (Mandarin Oriental)

hmmm... hectic! parang tinitignan ko pa lang napapagod na ako... hehee buti na lang nde ako magdadrive... hehehe

oh well...

Wedding Songs

2005-08-16T17:46:00.000+08:00

I so love these two songs... will definitely have this during our wedding...

ALL OF MY LIFE - vocal: Barbra Streisand

I was alone, You were alone,

Parallel lines that touched one another.

Just feeling our way, Lost in the dark,

Drawn to each other...

So much to say, and So much to do.

So much of you for me to discover.

Like what makes you laugh,

And what makes you cry,

How does a friend become a lover, too...

I've waited all of my life to find someone

who'd need my heart and read my mind.

To light my days and warm my nights.

Someone I know I could call,

My someone for all my life.

Looking at you, Looking at me,

Loving the look of love that I see there.

I find when I look deep in your eyes

Reflections of me there.

I've waited all of my life to find

Someone who'd need my heart and read my mind.

To light my days and warm my nights.

Now all at once in your arms. Everything's new.

All that I feel, tells me it's true.

All that I ask Is all of my life... with you.

Written by Barbra Streisand, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisc

Artist: David Pomeranz

Song: On This Day

Here we stand today Like we always dream

Starting out our lives together

Night is in your eyes

Love is in our heart I can't believe you're really mine forever

I will rehearse before for this moment all my life

So don?t act surprised

If the feelin's start to carry me away

On this day I promise forever

On this day I surrendered my heart

Here I stand take my hand

And I will follow every word that i say

On this day Not so long ago

This heart is just a fill of golden lonely space

Without you Now everything's all right Now everything's refill

And the story of my life

Is all about YOU

So if you feel the cool winds blowing through your nights

I will shelter you And forever here that tears

Your fear away

Am back from Singapore!

2005-08-16T17:38:00.000+08:00

And am back! am tired! am broke! hehehe...

Just came back from Singapore yesterday... sinundo kami ng dad ko and syempre si Sam. Na miss ko si Sam... syempre lalo ko namiss sya because of his texts... nde daw sya sanay without me and with me being so far away. nde na daw nya ako papayagan umalis uli... hehehe tama ba yun... ang haba ng hair ng lola mo, and he cant get his eyes off me yesterday parang ang ganda ganda ko tuloy... hahaha tumatalab ang gayuma ko! bwahahaha...

Am so thankful at naikot namin ng mom ko ang Singapore. We went to Sentosa, Night Safari, Merlion Park, Esplanade at syempre Orchard road in just one and a half days...HATAW! hehehe sumakit nga paa ko kakalakad, ngayon tuloy paltos paltos sya... bad trip nde ako makalakad ng maayos.

All expense paid trip namin as in airfare trip lang gastos ko... as in... lahat sagot ng friends ko dun... kaya lang nde ko naman napaghandaan masyado ang trip na ito kaya mejo nabawasan ang savings ko... ok na rin kasi baka nde na rin ako makapunta uli dun. I bought myself a watch and i also bought Sam a matching watch for men as well para matched kami. What he asked from me is just soil and a pebble from Singapore ... grabeee hirap hanapin sobrang precious ang lupa at bato dun nuh... hehehe...

Will post the pictures soon.

Pictures of Sam and Me...

2005-08-11T14:42:00.000+08:00

http://emmacks.blogs.friendster.com/photos/sam_and_i/index.html

Click to see compiled pictures of me and Sam... wala lang... inayos ko kasi friendster account ko kasi dami nagvi view...

Dream Gown

2005-08-11T10:42:00.000+08:00

I am still scouting for my dream wedding gown... since most brides loves the strapless look, i am opting for a gown with sleeves... hehehe matataba kasi arms ko eh kakahiya iladlad... hehehe... am looking at these two gowns...

So which one? or a combination of the two...

i dont like much beads... more laces i guess but less beads...

More bouquet selections

2005-07-06T07:18:00.000+08:00

2005-07-05T16:51:00.000+08:00

my DIY Save-the-Card... hehehe... wala lang magawa kagabi... sana nga lang nakaprint sa magnetic sheets...

Bouquet selection

2005-07-05T16:08:00.000+08:00

following are the bouquets i might be using for my wedding... id like to have calla lilies and liliums and those little berries... Since my motif would be "mystical forest" style id like to have a bouquet with wild flowers... i never liked roses nor mums ... but since am working on a tight budget i might get them for my church and reception flowers... oh well... beggars cant be choosers...

Giving me a headache

2005-07-05T16:03:00.000+08:00

ang sakkkkiiiiiittt na ng ulo ko sa pag gawa ng blog ko... mukhang its getting harder as i kept on going... hmph! nde naman kasi user friendly etong site... or i am just technologically challenged...

oh well... will just keep on going!

2005-07-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

"I did it"

2005-07-05T15:28:00.000+08:00

Finally, i have a blogsite... hmmm now lemme see how this works!