Craft Project: Christmas CD Envelope

My latest project:

CD envelopes for Christmas (for the CD of scanned old photos I want to send to my uncles and cousins).

with the CD

A closer look.

Materials used:

Textured paper in Red (for the envelope)
Textured board in Ivory (for embossing)
Brass stencil
Embossing stylus
Glue
Masking Tape
Gold rice beads (optional since I only used 6 beads per envelope)
Printed image of a poinsettia (at least 3 images per envelope for layering).
Scissors

Once Upon a Friendster

Ilang taon na din ang nakaraan simula ng mawili ako sa Friendster. Pano ba namang hindi? Sa Friendster na lang ako nakakakuha ng balita sa mga kakilala at kaibigan kong hindi ko na nakikita at malamang ay hindi ko na makikita pa muli.

O sige na nga... chismosa na ako.

Subalit sa paglipas ng panahon, medyo matagal kong nakalimutan ang Friendster. Bawal kasi ito sa mga naging opisina ko. Kahit naman dito. Kung maitatanong nyo kung paano ako nakakapag-Friendster ngayon... sabihin na lang natin na magaling kasi ang mga ka-opisina ko ngayon.

Palibhasa ay Lunes ngayon, likas na nakakatamad magbalik-trabaho pagkatapos ng dalawang araw na bakasyon. Idagdag mo pa na wala ang boss ko, at mamaya pang alas singko ang pagtitipon namin, sinubukan kong buksan ulit ang Friendster at tingnan kung ano na ba ang mga nagbago sa aking limang daan syamnapu't apat na ka-Friendsters. Ang mga ito ay ilan lamang sa aking mga napansin.

1. Sa unang tingin ay hindi ko na makilala ang karamihan sa inyo hindi dahil nag-iba ang itsura nyo kung hindi puro litrato ng sanggol ang nasa profile nyo. Matatanda na nga yata tayo dahil karamihan sa aking mga kakilala ay nagsipag-asawa at may mga anak na.

2. Sa unang tingin ay hindi ko na makilala ang iba sa inyo dahil parang nag-iba yata ang pangalan nyo. O maaring nagkaroon lang siguro kayo ng alyas. Samantalang ako, Kinder pa lang ay Janelle na. Hanggang ngayon, Janelle pa din. Apelyido lang ang nabago. Pero ok lang, pag nakita ko na ang mga litrato nyo, naaalala ko pa naman kayo.

3. Sa unang tingin ay hindi ko makilala ang iba sa inyo dahil... sa madami pang tingin, napagtanto ko na mukhang hindi ko talaga kayo kilala. Inalis ko na sa aking listahan ang mga iyon. Sa lahat ng aking limang daan syampnapu't apat na natitirang ka-Friendsters, kilala ko pa kayo lahat.

At sana ay nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan.

Yun lang po


*also posted on Friendster Blogs

The Circle of Influence

Being a constant worrier, I remember someone told me once about the Circle of Influence. This is an article I found about the subject.

ProjectSteps: The Circle of Influence and the Project Manager

Though this article discusses the Circle in terms of it's application in Project Management, I think the concept can be used in our daily lives.

Focus on Things You can Control

How Could I Have Forgotten?

I have obsessive-compulsive tendencies. And I get those tendencies at the most unusual times.

I was working on something I had to complete for work earlier when I was hit with a strong compulsion to check one of my old email accounts. It was a feeling I couldn't shake and kept bothering me until I couldn't work anymore until I did.

I created that email account in 2005, before I left my first job. The primary purpose of that account was to back up the personal emails that I wanted to save that were sent to my work email account, before it was disabled.

(Lesson learned: never, ever use your work email for personal correspondence... but I was young then and I was proud of my first work-related email account so I used it a lot to email my friendly friends back then)

I haven't opened that email account in a long time and I have long forgotten the emails and most of the people behind those emails. I decided to close that account and forward the emails I wanted to keep to my now-with-unlimited-capacity primary web email. So I started reading through them...

How could I have forgotten you?

Most of you have heard my horror stories.... the reasons that pushed me to quit my first job. Due to the poignancy of those events, I guess it was easy to overlook the small things.

The small things that kept me there for a long time, and in spite of everything that happened, made it difficult for me to leave.

It was all there in the emails I kept.

How could I have forgotten?

The small jokes and how we managed to laugh after a meeting gone bad (...really bad, I think). Small discussions with my boss who had a big part in shaping my professional values (until now, I still have his words of wisdom in my head... and I like to think I'm living them). Stories, small talk, and angst bouncing back and forth between floors when we couldn't talk out loud because we had people breathing down our necks (literally for some of us, haha).

My last few months were the most tumultous, but your old emails reminded me that there were good times. There were friends and good things worth remembering.

I remember now. And I hope I never forget again.

Lola's Photo Album

Yesterday was Grandparents' Day, in case you didn't know. Another holiday probably invented by Hallmark for commercial purposes, but it serves my family well since it's a reason to gather everyone and visit Lola.

Lola, as we call my grandmother from my mom's side, is my last remaining grandparent. Among our grandparents, me and my sister were always closest to Lola. We used to play at her house when we were kids when mom and dad were at work. I remember going with her to the public school where she teaches 2nd Grade English when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and sitting in the classroom with the other students as she teaches. Then when we moved to Bataan and she was already retired, she would visit us and stay with us for weeks at a time.

Lola was a very big part of our childhood. And probably one of the best.

While we were at her house yesterday afternoon, she took out the box where she keeps her pictures to show us the most recent photos she has of one of our cousins. My mom commented that Lola should put the photos in an album since most of the most recent photos are loose. But Lola said she has no need for more albums. When she's gone, she doesn't know who will want to keep the photos she has collected over the years anyway.

I'm not sure why, but her comment made me a little sad. I guess because in my heart, I know it to be true. Not only for her, but for all of us.

We spend our entire lives collecting memories: small items of great sentimental value... but are useless artifacts to others. A flower pressed into the pages of a book. An old dorm room key. And pictures... lots and lots of them: the story of one lifetime.

What really happens to them when we leave?

I saw an old album in Lola's box. I' ve seen those photos before but never really gave them much thought. In an effort to preserve part of my family's memories and history, I borrowed the album and scanned the photos. I hope these will be easier to keep than the originals and hopefully will last longer.

Here are some of the photos from Lola's photo album.

Click here to see the photos.

You Know What I Did Last Weekend

There was a time I used to enjoy long weekends...

Last weekend, I was just going out of my mind with boredom.

So after those movie reviews I just posted... you can safely guess what I did all weekend. All 4 days of it.

Nissin Cup Noodles for the Kikay Soul

Heartwarming stories that will touch your soul (NAKS!!!)

The Ticket

All ticket-holders at Disneyland are entitled to get FASTPASS Tickets. A FASTPASS ticket will allow you to skip the looooong lines for certain rides. However, you can only get FASTPASS tickets once every few hours (I think).

Anyway, MG and I were too lazy to look for the FASTPASS booth when we got there in the morning. We tried some of the rides and lines were long but the wait wasn't that bad so we figured we don't need FASTPASS tickets anymore. That was until we reached the Indiana Jones ride in the afternoon. We've been looking forward to trying out this ride all day but when got there, the line was long, and it was posted that the average waiting time was 50 minutes. I decided to look for the FASTPASS booth then but when I found it, they have already stopped issuing FASTPASS tickets for the day. Having no other choice left, we decided to wait in line.

When we reached the line, a man approached me and asked if I want his FASTPASS tickets. I didn't understand what he was saying at first and he asked me again if I wanted his FASTPASS tickets. I couldn't believe it! He has two but he won't be using them anymore. I took the tickets and thanked him. Among all the people in line, he picked us to give his tickets to! :) MG and I were able to skip the line thanks to that wonderful stranger who decided to help 2 tired-looking tourists that day :)

The story didn't end here.

Later that night, MG and I wanted to try one more ride before we went home but we were pressed for time so we were looking for one that didn't have a long line. A teen-age girl approached me and asked me if we were on a date. I was surprised and asked her why she was asking. She told me she has 2 FASTPASS tickets to a nearby ride that she won't be using anymore and she wanted us to have them! :)

Maybe I'm just not used to having strangers helping me out but it was really nice knowing that there are still people out there like them.

Rewarding Points

I have meant to write this story since last week, because I didn't want to forget and I want to remind everyone that kindness exists in places where you least expect it.

MG and I went to the mall last week to watch The Dark Knight. When we got there, there was a 3-day sale going on so we decided to check out some of the shops before going to the movie theatre.

We were at one store, when a lady approached me and asked me if I have an Advantage Card (a type of loyalty card where you earn points every time you shop at certain stores). I said yes, thinking it was a kind of promotion stint. She then asked me if I want to use it with her purchases. She was shopping and made a big purchase but didn't have an Advantage Card so she was hoping someone else can earn the points. I was really surprised that this lady took the time to look for someone who can take her points. Normally when I go shopping and I don't have my card with me, I just tell the cashier I don't have one and don't think twice about it. I accompanied her to the register where I presented my card and thanked her for her thoughtfulness :)

Paparazzi Moment

Remember my previous blog entry about bicycles?

Well check this out:


That's Famke Janssen, the actress who played Jean Grey on the X-Men movie series.

We saw her riding her bicycle as we were leaving the Brooklyn Bridge in NY. I didn't actually recognize her. I saw her from across the street as we were about to cross and just thought she was pretty when I noticed people behind me whispering. And then my cousin who was with us told me she's an actress. Only when he mentioned "Jean Grey" did bells started ringing in my head and I asked MG to take her picture.

Bicycles: The New Fashion Accessory?

According to this article at least: Obsession du Jour: Bicycles.

Mg bought one last month, not as a fashion accessory though, for exercise. Just another toy on his long list of toys past and present. And like the camera and the RC's and all his other toys... it's an expense that breeds more expense: accessories, upgrades. Every single week, it seems

Anyway... he's been harping on me to get one as well. Last time I was on a bike was when I was in 5th grade (I think). I wonder if it's true what they say that once you learn, you never forget? I will probably get one soon. I want a pink one.

Are you lonely?

Paulo posted this on my Funwall (in Facebook).

Meetings... the reason why I'm still here at the office at 9PM X(

You Learn Something New Everyday

Did you know that...

...Flintstones contain the same vitamins and minerals as prescription prenatal vitamins?


I got the info from my friend Jo :)

I did a little online research and I came upon this site listing the contents of prenatal vitamins:

• 4,000 and 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A
• 800 and 1,000 mcg (1 mg) of folic acid
• 400 IU of vitamin D
• 200 to 300 mg of calcium
• 70 mg of vitamin C
• 1.5 mg of thiamine
• 1.6 mg of riboflavin
• 2.6 mg of pyridoxine
• 17 mg of niacinamide
• 2.2 mcg of vitamin B-12
• 10 mg of vitamin E
• 15 mg of zinc
• 30 mg of iron

I decided to check it out at the drugstore and how about that? There are different varieties of Flintstones!

I went for the one with the most pretentious-sounding contents. Flintstones Vitamins and Minerals Plus Iron. This type contains:

• 2500 I.U.Retinol Equivalent (Vitamin A)
• 400 I.U. Vitamin D3
• 15 I.U Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
• 1.05 mg Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• 1.20 mg Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
• 1.05 mg Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
• 4.5 mcg Hydroxocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
• 300 mcg Folic Acid
• 13.5 mg Nicotinic Acid (Niacin)
• 60 mg Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)
• 15 mg Iron (elemental) --> wow, what's that? a game console character? hehe.

Flintstones COMPLETE (the kind I failed to buy) has 400 mcg Folic Acid per candy... uh... I mean, tablet. So that means, 2 tablets per day should give you approximately the same effect as prenatal vitamins.

NOTE: If you were prescribed prenatal vitamins by your doctor, please consult first before switching to Flintstones. I am merely talking off the top of my head. Plus, I'm biased... I like Flintstones better than boring old tablets and capsules.

Bag Organizers

I've been hearing and seeing these things online for quite some time now and I don't understand why I never got one earlier. It's so... convenient! Just put all the stuff you put in your purse there and when you have to change purses... just move the entire thing. I won't ever have to forget my i.d. and access card ever again! (I hope...).

The one I bought has a gazillion pockets and compartments!

Ok, that's exagerating.

It's about 10" x 8"... the size of a medium-sized bag. This size suits me and fits inside most of my bags. I need a big one because the cosmetics bag I carry with me everywhere is already about 7" x 5" big. My bag organizer has 3 compartments, 3 inner pockets, 1 inner zipped pocket, 3 side pockets for cellphones, 3 pen holders, a key holder, and a small coin purse.

Price: P180.00 (Approx $4)

Smaller ones go for P150 (Approx $3.50) .

Bag organizer inside my hand bag.

My Southpark Character

That's me and hubby.

Saw this link on a blog earlier this morning and I managed to squeeeeeeeze in some time to create one for me.

As of this writing, I now have a Simpsons character, an M&M character, and a Southpark character.

Make your own Southpark character

Chocolate Truffles

No posts for a week so to make it up to my visitors I am posting this delicious chocolate truffle recipe that we recently tried at home. Got this from an episode of Barefoot Contessa (Episode: Chocolate Memories)

Regarding the photo... it might not look like much. I was too lazy to be artsy. But trust me, it tastes great! :D

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate
1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons orange-flavoured liqueur (optional)
1 tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 tablespoon good vanilla extract
cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:
Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl. (Personally, I used a food processor for this)

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream in a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the orange-flavoured liqueur, if using, coffee and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a backing sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll each ball of chocolate in your hands to roughly make it round. Roll into cocoa powder.

These will keep refrigerated for weeks but serve them at room temperature.

Earth Day 2008 Philippines

The first Earth Day celebration was held on March 21, 1970, in San Francisco, United States, through the initiative of former Senator Gaylord Nelson who wanted to raise the concern of the public about the change that the environment needs.

(excerpt: http://www.mb.com.ph/OPED20080422122486.html)

This year, we are celebrating Earth Day on April 22 (yep, today!).

I did a little research and below are activities you can participate in to celebrate Earth Day in the Philippines:

1. Agos: Earth Day 2008 with the theme Tubig, Buhay Natin, Ating Pagyamanin.
VENUE: CCP
TIME: activities start at 7:00 AM
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• clean -up of CCP complex by employees and surrounding stakeholders
  
• Manila Bay clean-up
• showcase on the water entitled "LAOT"
  

SOURCE: http://www.getzmo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1880&Itemid=577

2. Baga't Hangin Musikahan
VENUE: Public Transport Terminal, SM North EDSA
TIME: 1:30 - 5:00 PM
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• free vehicle emission testing
• free medical check-up from medical practitioners of the Lung Center of the Philippines, Association of Respiratory Therapists of the Philippines, and the VRP Medical Center

SOURCE: http://greenphils.com/2008/04/21/free-on-earth-day-2008/

3. Garbology Marathon, Fluvial Parade
VENUE: Manila Bay, Fronting Mall of Asia
WHAT TO EXPECT? Click here for more details.

4. Get P40 discount at Starbucks
VENUE: Participating Starbucks outlets (not sure if all)
WHAT TO EXPECT:

• P40 discount on your favorite beverage if you bring your own mug or tumbler. (How's that for waste reduction? :)
• Bottled water and pre-packed juices are not included in this campaign

SOURCE: http://network.earthday.net/profiles/blog/show?id=1734264%3ABlogPost%3A27522

5. Eco-Party
VENUE: Bacolod City
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Visit this link for more details: http://www.envirolink.org/resource.html?itemid=200801100635110.491881&catid=2

6. Earth Day in Dumaguete
VENUE: Dumaguete City
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Visit this link for more details on week-long activities: http://www.envirolink.org/resource.html?itemid=200803170011130.671764&catid=2

7. Earth Day in Baguio
VENUE: Baguio City
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Session road will be closed for activities.

SOURCE: http://www.groundreport.com/World/Baguio-City-Prepares-Earth-Day-Event

AND many more, I'm sure. These are activities I was able to search on the internet today. If you know of more activities for Earth Day, feel free to post a reply.

For my part, Earth Day shouldn't just be a once-a-year effort. It's the small things we do, our daily contributions, that when put-together, will make a bigger impact on our quest to save our Earth.