I can be quite a cheesecake

Although I have been longing for a freer,more creative, bohemian-like existence of late, I do love what what I am currently working on, and the life I long for can be achieved in little snippets from the hustle of it all.

Like spending an afternoon and creating blueberry cheesecake. Just say "blueberry" out loud and it seems to take you away to a cute and lovely place in the woods, dotted with moss and cool like a pebble on your cheek. Where I want to be, with all the merry creatures in my head. Hahaha. Really, I am quite normal.

If you must bake, make it adorable. hahaha. Life becomes so bearable then. And Dear Husband and Older Brother loved this too. I hope it made their lives bearable. Then that would just be the perfect cheesecake. Blueberry. Blueberry. Blueberry. (it doesn't even grow here hahha, It came from a can in the woods.)

My first birthday

Okay, this is quite late (last month), but I have fast internet now, so might as well post these. 

The spawn turned 1, and we just had to give him a party. Of course I was telling Dear Husband that this will be the last time we are doing something like this. Something like hiring clowns and the like, that is. Something like staying up all night creating cupcakes Martha Stewart (or Jackson Pollock) would approve off, that is. 

The little "guests" from the farm came in full force, and albeit not in the photos, but the parents came too. For on the onslaught of his birthday talk, the ranch residents all had one request (unanimous at that): a clown. For as it so goes, they have only heard of these humorous beings, and would really love to behold one up close.  

I cannot even begin to describe how hard it was for us to produce these living things in the realms of something called "our budget". But as fairy tales often go, a fairy godmother, or in this case a fairy godMother-in-law, gave the customary lechon as birthday gift. We also got cakes from his godmother and (surprise) one from the ranch crew (made by the Executive Assistant Yvette's brother, using icing that I loooove). That left us with a few extra gold shillings to spend as we so desire.

And a success it was for little Spawn! Who also got his first hair-shave that day.

My sister-in-laws got him a little truck to ride around in too, which made the day of his little guests. 

The clowns (there were two of them by the way, for the price of one mind you) performed magic tricks as well, and the ranch is still buzzing up to now about rabbits that come out of hats. Those that had witnessed the clowns arriving and getting ready are all sure they did not see a rabbit anywhere amongst their belongings. Crazy it may sound, I know it's a trick, but I too did not see any rabbits on their persons, coming or going. 

*sigh* How wonderful it is to be a mother, and to totally have the power of fairy dust in your fingertips and create magic. Thank you, Up Above. For this. All of this. 

The Masochism Tango

It has been a long time since I've done Illustration Friday. And just as long since I wrote an entry! LOL.

Well, it's the weekend and I LOVE WEEKENDS. It is when the banks are closed, and my creativity surges out of the roof like a sunbeam hitting a crack in a barn-wall. 

And twenty years later, I am still a frustrated illustrator. My characters have been so devoid of grace and emotion for so long that I am quite afraid they will not do anything by the time I hit the twilight of my non-existent career. Yet, we (yes, me, and them) toil on day by day, trying to create a world where charming, flowing movement is the name of the game and pirouettes are baby stuff. Apparently, my characters do not like this moving world idea of mine. They prefer to be stiff as boards and constantly making a mockery of my tireless imagination. 

Sigh. 

Did you ever wonder...

What can a sand dollar buy?

It can buy you a ride...

And your own special island..

And a heavenly burger...

And it can buy you time...

And do you believe, at the end of a day, a sand dollar can get you all this... but you still have some change in your hands.

And you wonder..... what can tiny seashells buy?

Economics should be this simple. 

Peace. Love. Dream. Goodnight our lovely world.

(i spent some part of my childhood near this place, and i am currently here visiting my aunts and uncles, whilst bringing my son to his first dip in the sea. such happy memories. for me. now him.)

Natural-Neutral

By no means am I overly obsessed with neutral! ;-) But these past months I have bathed in it. First, I made the after-party wedding dress for my amazing friend Bam who got married 2 weeks ago amidst everything that is natural. A lovely farm wedding filled with friends we love so dear. Might I add, it was a double-wedding with her younger brother, so double the fun!

I spent a weekend in Cagayan, literally draping this dress on her body. Friends would show up at midnight and bring some beers. When I got back to the ranch, I was EXHAUSTED.

And this past week was spent updating mom's company's product portfolio. Sorry, I cannot show the real photos due to our clients, but here's in idea: it's natural, and it's neutral. LOL.

So this week I am looking forward to COLOR. Lots of it. PLEASE. 

But I am stuck with paperwork for the next few weeks :-( and those only come in neutral shades. UGGGGHHHHHH. Save me from a pale world.

Design Again

This is the sketch I made for the logo design for King Louis flowers. I am blogging about it cause I can't work on it right now. My ever trusted Wacom tablet that has been such a part of my life (thank you forever Basil), is at the "doctor". Dear husband decided to take it to someone who can do something about it. You see, the wire is hanging on by a dear thread to the tablet and I have been on the verge of tears every time I try to use it for the connection comes and goes! I think their putting a spring on it, to act like a splint. Poor, poor wacom love. But I think I shall never be able to part with it. 

I am designing again :-) Yey for me!! And excellent timing too! I just found out this weekend that SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) is opening a campus in Hong Kong in 2010!!! Hehehe school again?! Just dreaming. This school is so great though, wanted to go there so bad after FIDM. Well, who knows what destiny will bring. Won't hurt to update my portfolio this year with some stuff. Really, it wouldn't hurt. Specially if its on a scholarship for academic/creative excellence.

Hahahahha. 

Happy April Fools!

Book dogworm

The obsession for books does not stop at the books themselves it seems. How can I resist? I ♥ bookmarks! Speciall a DogWorm Bookmark! Wehee!

I saw my cousins' bookmark a few weeks ago at our little fam reunion and fell in love with the whole magnet thing. So I dug out the magnets from my stack of "just in case" materials and went about making one for myself. 

The little doggieworm I gave my mother. And I made a ballerina one for my aunt who was going home back to the States (which I just cannot upload cause the net is super slow.again.).

Life goes on in the boondocks and we are looking forward to watching the Rodeo at the Kaamulan this weekend! We loooove rodeos. 

And p.s. last night we won as a champion in another town on a 3-"fowl" derby! HootHoot! Everybody happy!

Oh dreams how I love thee

Apple tree bed by Attila Design

When I see something like this.... The more I want to LIVE.

I have just been spending hours looking for inspiration on Flickr, and as usual, it always makes me wanna daydream... 

Of our future little house... of owning a little deli.... of planting heirloom vegetables... of creating tiny things... of kissing dear husband every minute... of being a mommy begotten son will remember fondly... of writing stories... of baking apple pies... of rainy weather and cuddling my little family... of all the joys that a simple life will bring...

I am in the midst of stressful things with work, and this is the last night of my weekend. Dear husband is feeling a little under the weather, but we managed to go to mass this afternoon. Tomorrow another week begins. Tomorrow the 5-year plan continues.

Five years is the maximum amount of time I give myself to complete anything. I have found it is realistic for me, and achievable without going nuts. LOL. Right now I am in the starting stage of completing a 5 year goal for my work. That ever mysterious word in the premise of this blog.

But lets talk about daydreams.... My daydreams, are always about the time after the 5 years is done :-) Every time I get to caught up in everything, I stop and daydream. I lie down. Breathe. And dream. Then suddenly, everything is just something that has to be done... to get to next part.

And the funny part? After 5 years, my daydreams become work, and I sit and stare and dream about the next...

Crazy isn't it... I live in the future.

Peace. Love. DREAM of a beautiful world.

Back back Back

And we are back to the normal scheme of things :-) back with begotten son, craft materials galore, bills, ranch life and certainly back into my pajamas and rubber boots.

Peace. Love. Dream.Thank you world.

Road Trip day 3: Dauin Derby

So the highlight of our trip has come and passed. The team we came to cheer for didn't do so well, but it was a great experience. We got to see our gamefowl (i have decided not to use c***k anymore for fear of search engines!!! didn't occur to me before) superstars and saw their fowls in action. Amazing!

A lot of fast fights and mishaps. A lot of the veterans had terrible scores which is what makes this sport so crazy because no matter how hard you breed and condition, their is still that element of PURE LUCK. When you love this sport, you really love this sport :-)

Next on our list is definitely the ultimate, The World Slasher Cup! Where the bets are in the millions and the superstars and egos are just as large.