15 March 2017

Crafting Away the Sadness

Hello everyone, how have you been? Apologies for my absence. 

My sweet mother Eloisa passed away on January 31st. 

It was one of those days that I feared -- when you receive THE phone call and you scramble to get to the hospital. But the hospital is half way around the world from where I live, involving a 15-hour plane ride to Hong Kong and another two-hour plane ride to Manila. Luckily, my husband and I were able to book our flights (without having to pay an exorbitant fare), pack our suitcases, and tell our respective bosses that we had to take a break from work for a medical emergency. 

My mom suffered a massive stroke. And while the loss and sadness is apparent, I am most grateful that I was able to say my goodbyes and "I love yous". And that she didn't suffer. And that she was surrounded by the whole family as she journeyed home. 

Dealing with loss is something I'm still trying to navigate. But just like on good days, when I have bad days, I craft

My mom owned this locket (I do have a fondness for lockets).

I chose a few pictures that I resized on the computer. It's wise to have a variety of photos, sizes, and color saturation as options. 

I cut around the photos and put them inside the locket. 

The first one is of my parents on their wedding day. The second is of my mom and me. I chose these because she looked very, very happy in them. Of the many roles she juggled, being wife and mother was her priority. 

I put the locket on a chain that I own, for me to wear as frequently as I can. TADA! 


06 February 2017

Stop and Smell the Flowers

I'm taking a little break from crafting and blogging but let me leave you with this reminder:

I'll see you soon. Take care everyone!

31 January 2017

Just Do It

Here's a little push that you might need today:

Be brave and prove the naysayers wrong!

25 January 2017

Birthday Postcards

Howdy guys! I hope you're all having a good week. I've been thinking about birthday cards. I love sending snail mail to dear friends and bonus points if I'm able to make the birthday card myself. 

Last year, while spring cleaning, I came across my stash of postcards. I've collected them over the years in my different travels and stored them in a plastic box. But what are postcards if they're not given away, right?

So I curated a set, about 5 postcards, based on my memories with a particular friend.

For one friend, I chose these: one with a lighthouse (because she's one of my pillars of strength), a beach (because we spent every summer going to a different one), one with food (because dining is one of our favorite things to do), and an adult coloring page (one that I colored and a blank one for her to fill).  Each one has a special handwritten message at the back.

For another friend, I choose these: botanicals (the theme she used for her wedding), dolphins (one summer, I joined her and her family to see dolphins in the wild), historic homes (we both love interior design and architecture), and one with a pig on it (we both love the country life).  

I gathered all the postcards, secured them with a vellum "belt", and tucked these inside an envelope for mailing. TADA!


18 January 2017

A Most Unique Bouquet

One of my favorite blogs is Chocolate and Zucchini. It's a food blog authored by Parisian, Clotilde Desoulier. In her latest post, she had some good news to share. She got married!

Of the many sweet details, I loved her bouquet the best:

via Chocolate and Zucchini
It's made out of bread!!! Her friends at the famed Paris boulangerie, Poilane, made it for her. I thought it was one of a kind and very personal. Or how I like to say it -- blah to TADA!


11 January 2017

A Cheerful Wreath

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great start to the New Year. Personally, I'm still recovering from the very busy holiday season. 

It's quite bittersweet, taking down the decorations and waiting until next season for the festivities. I saw this wreath at the store and thought it could be a nice blah to TADA! craft inspiration:

It's made of colorful pompoms that can be hung at home or in your workspace all year round. TADA!

02 January 2017

Best Day

Let's start the New year with a beautiful quote:

Have a good week everyone!