Toast to ROME

We've been anxiously waiting for this news for the last 2 weeks. Then it finally happened. At exactly 4:57 PM today, I received a call from my manager informing me that our team made it to the most coveted top 3 team performers! They say "Focus on the journey, not the destination". But really, how can you not focus on the destination when the destination is BELLA ROMA!!!!!

Yes, we made it, we are going to ROME! Hard work, teamwork and a dash of prayer go a long way.....

To my teammates, too bad we are not together when the news came out. I want to hug you all but I guess at this point you have to be contented with what I do best .... I made a card for you {LOL}.

Cheers and thank you for a remarkable year. You're the best! Here's to Rome!

Ciao,

Now & Then

After a snowfall last night, our backyard trellis is a sight to behold. I love the serenity that winter brings. You would never know that six months ago this trellis (that JV built by himself, well, I helped a little!) looked like this ....

Nature blessed us with 4 beautiful and distinct seasons that charm our artistic minds & stir our souls. Praise to the Greatest Landscaper above!

Cheers,

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Today, millions and millions of our Chinese friends all over the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year which ushers in the year of the OX. Canada commemorates the event by issuing this beautifully crafted stamp topped off with gold foil. All to honor the oldest surviving calendar system in the world.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Scarps and Mismatched Embellishments

Instead of throwing scrap papers from previous projects and mismatched embellishments, I put them all together on this LO and I'm quite pleased how it turned out. The smile on our faces says it all.

HAPPINESS

Thanks to Number1AnimationFan for the video.

I just love this song. I even wrote my own version....

Happiness is a hug from my husband.

Reading a good book.

Shopping for teas.

Happiness is scrapping till morning.

Uploading a layout for the very first time.

Happiness is making some cards for families and friends.

And happiness is walking hand in hand.

Happiness is my father and mother.

Oatmeal with honey.

Singing a song.

Happiness is five patterned papers.

Wishing they are mine.

My wish coming true.

“Happiness is being alone every now and then.

And happiness is coming home again”.

Happiness is having a sister.

Sharing a wardrobe.

Getting along.

Happiness is praying together

When day is through.

And happiness is those who pray with you.

“Happiness is morning and evening,

Daytime and night time too.

For happiness is anyone and anything at all

That’s loved by you”!

So many little things to make us happy. Most of them are free.

Stay Happy,

TGIF

Everyday is a gift, I know that, but there is something magical about Fridays that never cease to cast its spell on me (and my hubby too)! Maybe because we associate it with simple things that are dear to us. The ritual begins at 7PM by relaxing on the sofa and exchanging highlights of our week. This is usually punctuated by guessing the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune. Friday dinner is almost always thin crust pizza with pesto, bocconcini cheese, and tomato that has to be prepared before Ghost Whisperer at 8PM. Our Friday finale, as we call it is either Karaoke night or Harry Potter on DVD and a good bottle of wine to share. Today is no different from the many Fridays that we "celebrate" at home. And we both pray that it will always be like this ... Happy. Together. Simple. Special. Loved.

Thank God for Fridays.

I was inspired by Kristina's featured colors this week so I decided to make myself a card. Hey, after a hectic but very productive week at work, I deserve this and the bubble bath too!

Have a good one,

D is for DAMASK

I love hoarding papers with Damask designs. It must be the Asian in me that is drawn to the intricate and classy patterns (China, India Persia and Syria are among the first producers of Damask) .

Gone are the days when Damask was synonymous to table cloth and curtains. I was surfing the net for inspiration one night when voila!... I found this ...!!!

It would be nice to wear these boots while shoveling the snow, don't you think?

Back to my protect .....with Damask in mind, I made a birthday card for Mamang (my mom-in-law) who celebrated her birthday last week. Happy birthday Mang! Love from JV and me.

Papers: Brazzill (White & Teal), Basicgreay (Ambrosia;entice)
Stamps: Clear flower stamp, Inkadinkado (Chelsea sentiments)
Inks: Versa Magic (Sage), Color Box (Dark Brown)
Embellishments: Making Memories (Sabrina gem), ribbon, butterfly

Hats Off

Reminiscing….

In 2005, my husband and I decided to celebrate New Year's Eve out of town. With a $ value in mind, I turned to god ol' Google for an overnight stay at a 3-star hotel with dinner/show. Lo and behold.... I found something like $60/person (what a steal!!!). We drove for 2 hours from our place to the countryside.

So far so good ... the hotel room was pretty, the steak dinner was sumptuous (I can still remember how tasty the Yorkshire pudding was) and the stand up comedy show was hilarious. The only thing was that, except for me and my hubby, all the people in the room were LOLOs (grand dads) and LOLAs (grand moms)!!! Yes it was a gig for 60 years and older!!!! They gave HATS for us to wear and grooved the night away to Broadway music. Oh, we had so much fun!

Ever since, it became our tradition to wear these hats on New Year's Eve and reminisce what turned out to be a beautiful mistake.

Really, Hats Off to our elders..... You ROCK!

P.S. I submitted this layout to KAYA challenge, a scrapbooking blog hosted by a group of very talented Filipinas. Please check it out. I am a Pinay ... and proud to be one!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Our street this morning. A glimmer of hope......

It's brrrrrrutally COLD!!!!

For the next 3 days we are under extreme cold warning with temperature forecast ranging from -17 C (yes that's the warmest, yehey!) to -29 C (wind chill considered, huh?). What do you do on days like this?

• go to work dressed like a polar bear
  
• relax near the fireplace with a good book (try The Shack)
  
• light a scented candle and take a long bubble bath
• have a cup of hot chocolate with your honey (don't forget the marshmallows)
  
• scrap till you drop!

I'll see if I can manage to do all of the above.

Bundle up guys!

Blog Bug

We have a blog page! OK. OK. I didn't see this one coming.

My husband JV and I love our day jobs. We are thankful that we are blessed with something that we like to do on a daily basis and get paid for just being good at it. But as soon as we get home, we still crave for things that satisfy our respective alter egos ... a trying hard paper crafter and a greenhorn photographer.

My love affair with papers started at a very young age. My mom told me that I would trade my toys for a piece of colored paper to the delight of my playmates. JV on the other hand can spend hours and hours at Future Shop or Best Buy looking at and touching cameras and lenses as if they are precious diamonds. His favorite subject ... moi, bien sur!

Moments shared in our studio armed with paper and camera are PURE BLISS! Welcome to our niche, our blog.... where we will share memories preserved in scrapbook layouts, hand made cards and captured moments of our journey.