Apologies, Excuses, Awards and HELLO!

HELLO everyone!

I'm back! Not just from my "real" vacation but also from being out of it for quite some time. Since the holiday break, I haven't been feeling artsy fartsy. It seemed like my mojo has gone for a long break too. I had a lot of unfinished business.

For one, I decided to do the December Dailies of Ali Edwards. I managed to make the bare album but I never got around to filling it up. I didn't even take photos daily. So, I will just use it for my Christmas album - which I haven't even started, and the photos are still not yet prepped for printing! Sigh.

I also had been wanting to scrap my birthday photos and create a bday mini album. Nothing done at this point.

My Studio Calico kits from September to the latest have yet to be opened. Ok, well, I opened them and admired the contents but I have not used a single item in any of the kits.

But what I feel most terribly guilty of is the fact that I wasn't able to make a single Christmas card to be mailed to relatives and friends. Not one!!! Sigh.

And the list goes on...

Anyway, today I scrapped. I finally finished our Bicol trip album (8x8) which is just short by 2 spreads. So I finished the last two spreads today but I have yet to make a cover photo. I also finished a 12x12 layout. I haven't taken photos of these projects yet but I will share them soon.

Meanwhile, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who keeps coming back to my blog even though I haven't posted anything. Well, I cheated. I had a few posts but they're not scrapbooking related! And thanks to those who left messages in the cbox and comments on my posts.

Oh, and I've been given awards by Donna and Liza. Thank you very much ladies.

Here are the rules:

Mention five (5) addictions and pass on the award to five (5) other fab blogs!

1. Virtual Tennis (using my hubby's PSP which I gave as a bday gift last year!)

2. The Twilight saga

3. Pasta

4. Beauty Bar bubble bars

5. Coffee

I'm tagging Lee, Bjay, Pia, Cookie and Nina. Play along ladies!

Nina Tagged Me

Thank you Nina for the tag!

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you: Nina (http://www.creatinginsolitude.blogspot.com/)
2. Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading).
3. List 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up!

Here are six random things about me:
1) I subscribe to Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks and PaperCrafts magazines.
2) My favorite movies to date are Love Actually and Mamma Mia (and I like Colin Firth!).
3) I love dishes with coconut milk - laing, ginataang langka, Bicol express, etc.
4) My Christian org in college sponsored Joseph the Dreamer in UP and to save on costs, we played as "extras" - I was one of the village people when Joseph was auctioned as a slave (and I crushed on Carlo Orosa who played Benjamin)
5) I love watching The Nanny reruns.
6) I love cooking and eating pasta, and I prefer penne over other types of pasta.

The six people I'm tagging are: Sheryl, Ch, Yoyin, Cabbie, Lee and Bjay.

Long overdue!

Been tagged by some scrapper friends.


Donna, Liza and Chiqui gave me this award. Thanks girls! Now, for the rules:

(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.
(2) Link the person you received your award from.
(3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
(4) Put links of those on yours.
(5) Leave a message on the blogs of the girls or boys you’ve nominated.





This is "Blogging Friends Forever" and it's from CV. Thanks CV! Here are the rules:

* Only five people allowed
* Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog
* One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog or lives in another part of the world.
* You must link back to whoever gave you the award.
* The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

I'm tagging these lovely ladies back. And if you are a frequent visitor, feel free to grab the awards and post on your blogs.

Nominated by Cabbie and Liza Yet

Thanks Cabbie and Liza for this award!

The rules are:
1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.
2. Put a link to the person you got the award from.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to the blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I am nominating these fabulous blogs: Lee, Donna, Bjay, Au, CV. Girls, you know what to do!

Awarded by Bjay

Thanks Bjay for this recognition. I am flattered, since you're one of my blog idols. :D

Anyway, here are the rules that go with the awards:

- post the award logos on your blog

- link back to the person who awarded them to you

- nominate at least 7 people whose blogs you admire

- add links to their blogs

Here are my nominees!

Bjay (again, really, I admire your blog!), Lee, Cabbie, CV, Liza, Maybs, Sheryl.

Spread the love girls!

Diane Tagged Me

Thanks Diane for this super fun tag. Enjoyed it so much!

The concept:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food? right now?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. What is one word that describes you?
12. What is your flickr name?

1. Pont Alexandre III et le Grand Palais, 2. Penne Pasta, 3. R- El Paso Sunset, 4. Orange as any orange on a tree, 5. Call of the Raven (formerly Nature's Special Effects), 6. Épave*, 7. "Shelly" ... 7000+ views!, 8. day 73: creme brulee, 9. gobble♫, gobble ♫, gobble it up!~~ <°)))>< ~~ great egret from bali♫, 10. The Earth is God's Canvas., 11. Damrak - Amsterdam, 12. whats so funny

I'm tagging everyone who wants to try this. This is so much fun!!! And look at #12, I typed my name and I got the link to my Memory Box challenge entry which won honorable mention. :D

Here are my real answers to the questions above:
1. Alby
2. Penne Pasta
3. St. Francis School
4. Orange
5. Big
6. Baileys
7. Caribbean
8. Creme Brulee
9. Artist
10. God
11. Creative
12. Alby Laran

Tagged again

... by Cosette, Florence and Tin.

Here are the rules I'm supposed to follow:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

• I love Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Chai Latte - extra hot , no sugar added
• I love Figaro coffee
• I enjoy watching CSI and Animal Planet
  
• I can't shower without hot water, even in the summer
• I go to Piandre for most of my beauty needs
• I collect book markers
  

4. Tag six people at the end of your entry. I'm tagging CV, Ch, Cookie, Sheryl, April, Nina
So difficult to tag someone who hasn't been tagged yet, so if you've been tagged already, then you don't have to do this all over again! :D

TAGGED Yet Again!

This time by the 1st ever Scrappin' Moms Idol CABBIE! Thanks Cabbie! Here it goes:

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 random facts about me:

1. I enjoy a long warm soak in the tub, specially after a day of scrapping
2. I have 3 dogs – Charlotte (a yellow lab), Samantha (a spitz), Harry (a cute mix-breed); my fave dog died last summer – her name was Carrie
3. I used to print my own photos in a dark room and I dreamt of setting up my own dark room at home (Instead I learned how to use Photoshop and bought a home printer)
4. I lost 25 lbs in 6 months, kept them off for 2 years, and they all came back with a vengeance just this year
5. I hardly wear scents (perfume or cologne)
6. I light an oil burner to help me relax and go to sleep
7. I get a full body massage at least once a week

A - Age: 32
B - Band Listening To Right Now: Does Josh Groban count?
C - Career: 11 years (and counting!) in Market Research
D - Drink or Smoke: Drink but very rarely
E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: Jo-Ann and Candy
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Gummy bears
H - Have a Boyfriend: Had one, and I married him
I - In love: Always, with my hubby
J- Junk Food You Like: Potato Chips
K - Kids: Soon
L - Longest Ride Ever: Manila to Ilocos
N - Names For Your Future Kids: Isaac, Sophie, Andrea
O - One Wish You Have Now: To have kids
P - Phobias: Being inside tall buildings, Lightning
Q - Favorite Quote: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5)
R - Reasons To Smile: New scrapping loot; getting my magazine subscriptions
S - Sleeping Hours: 11pm – 6:30am
T - Time You Woke Up: 6am but didn’t get up until 6:45am
U - Unknown Fact About You: I had my ears pierced for the first time at 22
V - Vegetable You Hate: Bamboo shoots (Labong)
W - Worst Habit: Impulsive shopping; and now, hoarding of scrapping stuff
X - X-rays You’ve Had: Chest only
Y - Yummy Foods: Sugi’s Crispy Oysters (yummy!!!)
Z - Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Now I'm tagging Christine, Marj, Nina, Gaye, Ch, April, and Ella.

Have a great week everyone!!!

Tagged...

...by no less than scrapper Donna! Thanks Donna! I enjoy reading your blog entries and I'm a fan of your work. I posted the image at the sidebar.

If you're reading my blog, I think you're fabulous too!

Tagged!

Been tagged by Cabbie. Thanks Cabbie!

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Rockin' Girl Blogger

Thanks to hall of famer Donna for nominating me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! Now, I'm nominating 5 others. Lee, Liza, Christine, Myls and Airees.

Your blog rocks!!!

I've been TAGGED!!!

I was pleasantly surprised to get a message in my cbox from Christine telling me that I’ve been tagged. Now I must post the rules, write 7 random things about me, and then tag others to do the same.

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

Ok, these are my random facts. Hope this gives you a better glimpse of who I am.

1. Since high school, I wanted my first boyfriend to be the man I will marry some day. That is why I took my time and didn’t get into a relationship right away. I wanted to know myself well enough to decide who I want to spend the rest of my life with. He came when I was 23. I married Ariel, my first and only boyfriend, two years later. He is definitely worth the wait.

2. Before I got married, I did't own a TV set, nor a music player (radio or CD). I wasn't fond of watching TV nor of listening to music. I entertain myself with books or crafts (I used to do papier tole, candle-making, etc.). You can count my music CDs with the fingers of one hand (mostly gifts) and I only listen to them in the car. When we got married, our first three major expenses as a couple were - 1) a fully automatic washing machine (driven by necessity, otherwise we have to wash clothes by hand), 2) a TV set (hubby can't live without it!), and 3) a cable subscription (see reason to purchase number 2).

3. My all-time favorite subjects are Algebra, Geometry and Visual Arts (Photography, Painting, Sketching). Even now, I still enjoy solving Algebra problems during my leisure time (what a nerd!). In college, all my free electives are photography subjects (I used to print my own B&W photos). In high school, I enjoyed oil painting and sketching. These are the only subjects that I care about getting excellent grades. I just need to pass the other subjects, but for Math and Arts, I have to get the highest grades. One time, in our geometry exams, I felt so bad getting half a point less than perfect. I got the answer right but my formula was wrong. :(

4. I graduated from college without ever being in a bar, disco, concerts, or other gimmick places most college students (that time) go to. Even now, my idea of a night out is a quiet dinner or movies with my hubby. I was already married when I attended my first concert, and only because my hubby (who is a night owl) pushed me to do so (never enjoyed noisy and crowded places). The only concert that I actually enjoy is that of Lea Salonga's. I'm a huge fan!

5. Even if most people I know probably won't believe me, I will say this anyway. I am a very shy person. I don't like walking into a room filled with strangers. The first thing I'd do when I walk into a crowded room is to look for someone I know. Otherwise, I'd stay in one corner and not talk all day, unless someone comes up to me and talk to me first. But among friends, I tend to talk loud and fast. I am actually very friendly, I just don't feel comfortable taking the first step.

6. Since I am very shy, I don't like attending parties. Any type. Kiddie parties, debuts, weddings, birthday parties, Office parties, etc. I wasn't able to escape my junior prom, but I skipped our senior prom. I opted to celebrate my 18th birthday with a few friends. I would skip our company parties if I can. I would have preferred a wedding by the beach with our immediate family but we opted for the circus to please our families (it's the first wedding on both sides).

7. My hubby gifted me with a yellow lab one Christmas. I named her Charlotte. She was followed by a miniature dachshund whom I named Carrie. Then came my Jack Russel Terrier mix, the first male, whom I named Harry. Lastly, just this year, a Japanese Spitz joined our family and I named her Samantha. I hope our next one's a girl so I can name her Miranda. Get the drift? I love Sex and the City!!! Harry is Charlotte's husband in the TV series. I would have named my boy Big, except that he is actually small.

There you go! Now I've got to tag 7 others. But hey, it's not easy! It's fun though, so try it! Consider yourself tagged!