Tuesday, March 31, 2015
March 31, 2015 ~ I had just arrived from my Philippine holiday yesterday on board Singapore Airlines with my younger sister. Time spent in Boracay for 3 nights 4 days bonding with my eldest son , Meier ... was priceless ! His excitement seeing the place for the 1st time was such a great eye opener for him to see the world outside our modest home in Laguna. As you don't know, Meier was a homebody spending much of his time being at home doing his artworks. His passion is drawing just like the one below done with Staedtler colored pencils .
For him to be able to travel for a change to a tourist spot crowded with thousands of people both locals and foreigners was a great outdoor experience for him. His actual presence in the island of Boracay with me was an experience of a lifetime ... and in fact for both of us .
In 2012, Boracay was awarded as the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
With pictures below I had taken as proof while I was there, I won't argue why ...
For him to be able to travel for a change to a tourist spot crowded with thousands of people both locals and foreigners was a great outdoor experience for him. His actual presence in the island of Boracay with me was an experience of a lifetime ... and in fact for both of us .
In 2012, Boracay was awarded as the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
With pictures below I had taken as proof while I was there, I won't argue why ...
The island has been well known all over the world for its picturesque fine white sand beach . But unfortunately, the algae visiting the beach of Boracay yearly before the lenten season was there again this time and had turned the beach into a green covered shore.
But the fact that the algae is harmless and contributes to the whitenes of the sand afterwards after it dries up ( a fact accdg to the locals living in the island ) it didn't bother anybody visiting the place at all. The island was still full of local and foreign based visitors swimming and frolicking on the beach day and night . Although I really didn't dip myself all the way in afraid of all those green floating algae would get stucked into my long hair ! I managed to one day after a boat ride to get into the water that's waist deep for few seconds ... LOL!
But the fact that the algae is harmless and contributes to the whitenes of the sand afterwards after it dries up ( a fact accdg to the locals living in the island ) it didn't bother anybody visiting the place at all. The island was still full of local and foreign based visitors swimming and frolicking on the beach day and night . Although I really didn't dip myself all the way in afraid of all those green floating algae would get stucked into my long hair ! I managed to one day after a boat ride to get into the water that's waist deep for few seconds ... LOL!
Our time together in the paradise island was such a wonderful and meaningful vacation due to the fact that I had been living overseas and only comes home once in a while to spend sometime with my eldest son and daughter back in the Philippines .
Meier enjoyed much of the boat rides we had around the island , the sunset cruise as well as the Crystal Cove boat tour where we did a quick stop - over at the Puka beach found at the northen tip of Boracay for a sumptous filipino lunch together with the 3 poor and tired boatmen I had invited to join us for lunch . They were shy to join us by the table but I told them no worries coz lunch is on me. That day for me was a good time away from the busy life I had in Singapore.
Puka Beach was a quiet beach with very few number of tourist sunbathing all around. There were a few number of vendors trying to sell their wares to us too. So , inorder to help them earn a living even for just a bit I had bought a few number of beaded bracelets and a bottle opener from them. See ?
Although I was enjoying a great time in Philippines during my holidays, Singapore on the other hand is mourning for their loss. Their beloved well respected ex prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew ( born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015) passed away and was finally laid to rest.
The 91-year-old political patriarch who died last March 23rd peacefully in his home was cremated after a state funeral on Sunday March 29th. It was a sad moment for Singapore but Singaporeans,
young and old gathered to pay last respects to the ex First Prime minister who had ruled Singapore for three decades.
I may have not known you by heart sir , but for all the things you did to Singapore to become what it is now only proves that you deserve a great amount of respect and never ending thank you . Farewell to you sir .. you had left the nation physically but your accomplishments and contributions to Singapore shall remain and will never be forgotten.
Rest In Peace Mr. Lee Kuan Yew ...
Sunday, March 01, 2015
March 01,2015 ~ Here we go again welcoming the 1st day of the month. Today is Sunday and the 1st of March , I should have been as a Christian be going to church to listen in a mass but unfortunately, I spend my Sundays just like any other ordinary weekday where I start the morning with my cup of coffee while sitting alone infront of the dining table. My only sole companion every morning is my loyal attention seeker dog ... Gabby ! But I don't mind giving her much attention .. she pays me back with lots of kisses anyways ... so sweet !
But today is a bit different I guess. from the past Sundays. I am going to start my day unpacking a box I had received yesterday. I had been expecting its delivery since last week. Oh dear, how excited and overjoyed I was the moment it came. Lucky I was home when the delivery guy came knocking by the gate and got greeted by never ending barks of Gabby .. LOL!
Wandring what's inside the box ? See below photos please ...
In the said delivered box, you'll find nothing else but beads, beads , books Nymo threads and more beads ! They are mostly 8/0 Size Seed Beads , Rocailles/ Miyuki and Swarovski Rivolis.
Time to start beading endlessly again with all these supplies. By the way, I didn't buy all of them. They were about 80% redeemed from a Gift Certificate I had received as a Prize since I won in the beading contest last year from Fire Mountain Gems & Beads . I thank them so much for all these lovely items as well as their invitation sent via email encouragimg me to participate again in the 2015 Seed Bead Contest. I am for the moment already doing my entry set for the said contest way before I got their invitation. I would say , I was quite excited to compete more after I had gotten a place last year. Not bad for a 1st contest overseas I had participated in. My latest entry to the 2nd contest I had participated in 2014 : Swarovski Beading contest 2014 also made it to the finals . Yehheeyyyyyyy !
I am now awaiting for the list of final winners they're going to announce anytime soon. In fact, I am already happy just being chosen for the final rounds of the contest. It's such a great honor even just being a finalist ! There's so many very good beaders out there competing. Some of them had been doing the competition for many years. I was a newbie LOL!
Anyways, my entry for the Seed Beads 2015 Contest is still under way. Necklace and Earrings had already been done. Took me at least 1 week to create it.
Now I'm in the early stages of the matching bracelet. Final pictures of the whole set I'll post here after I had submitted it probably before end of March or mid April . Deadline for submission of entries is on April 30th so I still have almost 2 months to prepare. If any of you out there would like to send your beaded entries, please go to this link for more inquiries :
Send your inquiries to
beadingcontest@firemtn.com or
contact us at (800) 423-2319 or (541) 956-7700
For now, I'm heading to my beading table again and do my bracelet... so bye for now my dear readers and wish me luck in my upcoming contest entry to make it through the finals again.
Ooooppssss, wait a second . before I forget, I have an upcoming fundraising event this coming Saturday , 7th March in support of International Women's Day or IWD 2015
The charity event would be held at Esmirada. I would be putting some of my jewelries for display and sales in the said venue.
Esmirada @ Orchard
442 Orchard Road
#01-29 Orchard Hotel
Singapore 238879
Tel: 6735 3476
To all attendees, the entry fee costs SGD$45 .This event will provide everyone with a delicious 5-course tapas cocktail dinner + 1 Complimentary Welcome Glass of Wine. And very good lucky draw prizes! The lively banter will revolve around International Women's Day or IWD 2015 global theme, Make It Happen.
So come to Esmirada at Orchard and enjoy one of Singapore’s most special dining experiences! With its delicious, authentic Mediterranean cuisine, its professional yet sprightly waiters and its rustic yet homely ambience, this Esmirada Restaurant truly offers a dining experience like no other. Put also in mind there are giveaways and prizes to be won during this date.
So see you all there !
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Gong Xi Fa Cai
~ 2015 ~
February 19, 2015 ~ My-SECRET-Corner is ringing in the Lunar New Year — in Chinese astrology, the Year of the Goat —
Today marks Chinese New Year - the longesr and most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year is the longest national holiday in China, spanning a total of 15 days.
Here in Singapore, the celebrations had already started since last night. Parts of Chinatown located in Northbridge road were so colorful. Adorned with well lit lanterns as well as chinese themed red and orange decors. The streets of Chinatown were beaming with lively colors and Goat lanterns adorned a major float situated right in the middle of a junction of 2 major street roads. The views were just spectacular especially during nighfall.
Goat or sheep?
2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as the “Year of the Sheep” too.
The confusion stems from the Chinese character “yang”, which can translate in colloquial Chinese as either sheep or goat.
Those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 are goats, who can count their lucky colours as brown, red and purple.
Their characters are supposedly kind and peaceable, while their best months are supposedly August and November and their lucky flowers are primroses and carnations.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by dinners , parades, dragon dances, reunions and gift exchanges .
Red clothing and elements are essential for Chinese New Year, as the mythical monster at the centre of the New Year, Nian, was supposedly scared of the colour red and fireworks, which have also become a key part of New Year celebrations.
Cleaning the house on the twentieth day of the second lunar month before the New Year, and subsequent house decorating, are both major rituals in the run up to New Year.
Each day has its own celebration: while on Day 2 it is traditional to visit friends and relatives, on Day 3 people tend to stay at home as it is not seen as auspicious to socialise.
The final day, Day 15, sees the Lantern Festival, where red Chinese lanterns are released into the sky.
( Part of an article in The Independent )
Sunday, February 01, 2015
February 1, 2015 ~ Good morning everyone ! 1st day of the month again. Sunday, 1st of February 2015. I had awakened to the barking of my neighbor's Husky puppy dog replacing my usual weekday alarm . But it's ok... time to get up anyways and do my normal routine of houseworks even on a Sunday ... feed my doggie ( Gabby ), wash dishes from last night, mop the floor to remove muddy paw prints, do all the laundry so on and on . Haaaayyzzz... I wonder how I could still sneak into my beadroom to update my blog LOL!
Today I don't know what to tell you except that I am now looking at my table top littered with all sorts of beads and rubbish while I sip my morning coffee. Uuuufffffff ...
It's kind of messy around here ... see what I mean ? Awwwwwww ... decisions to make on new projects for competition. Yup... you heard me ... now I am in the mood to compete again for the upcoming Fire Mountain Gems Seed Bead Contest 2015 ( Wish me luck again please ! ). But first, I need to sort out and clear this table top to have some space for my new project. Then later, I do my house chores of course.
My goal for this month of February 2015 is to come up with a new design . I'm sure you're about to ask, A new one again ? I would gladly reply ...Yes, Something that would kind of stand out from the rest. Unique will be the perfect word to describe it. But then, I will have to provide lots of patience and time making it for sure. Loads of patience to tolerate the many times the beading needle is gonna poke my poor fingers.
I often get hit by needles while I am beading. One particular time about 3 years ago, I was hit in my nerve that my finger got a feeling of being electrified everytime I moved it and it lasted for about 6 months. I feared and thought it would never go back to normal again. It really hurts and it affected my beading for quite a while. Luckily, my finger got over the pain and is now working as good as ever. So now, I always take care with needle works and never force the needle again if it won't pass thru the bead anymore. Experience had taught me to be more observant and careful nowadays.
I make use of a beading needle in almost all my beading projects except when I do wiring.
Size 12 beading needle is my favorite one coz it is very flexible and it can pass through to just anything. The "PONY" brand is good and sold in a pack of 12 pieces for as cheap as Php45 -50/ pack in the Philippines.A Very good 2.25" long quality needle for seed beads 11/0, 15/0, 18/0 and pearls with fine holes. I buy loads of them everytime I come home to Manila. It's a very good size thin stainless steel needles that is very flexible to go even thru curves but it bends easily after going through the beads several times. It looses its form after a while and I always have to straighten it with a flat pliers.Another flaw I find with this needle is, the hole is quite small so I spent so much time trying to get the thread through the hole. I need a threader to direct the thread into the needle hole just to make it easier. But still, despite of its flaws, it's my best tool when it comes to beadworks. I just keep a bunch of them ready in my Needle Nest in case I break or disformed the one I was using. So problem solved... easy !
As you can see I just don't easily give up on anything ..especially when I'm having a new project , obviously !
By the way, check out some real good discounts happening nowadays to some of the most reliable beading sources online.
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| $59 off $499 sitewide coupon(code:AFFFEB59), ends on Feb 15, 2015. @PandaHall.com |
| Coupon Code:AFFFEB33 | |||||
| $33 off $299 sitewide coupon(code:AFFFEB33), ends on Feb 15, 2015. @PandaHall.com |
Thursday, January 15, 2015
January 14, 2015 ~ Hello everyone. Today is my "special day" and I don't know if I should rejoice about it or not. I feel happy coz I had reached this stage so far but I'm also sad to realize I'm getting old . Oh nooooooo .....
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Raphael : Hey Grandma don't be sad ... you look great at 50 and you're super cool ! Ok, let me check with bigger bro if he agrees to that ! Rhendolf, isn't grandma super cool ? Look at her !.jpg) |
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| Rhendolf : Only thing I could say is .. our Lola Wella is super fun and she looks great aside from being a grandma. When I grow up, wanna be a party animal like her too.! It keeps her young at heart and in looks . Cool .. tee hee ! |
So nice of my grand children to greet me on my birthday. Muaaahhh to you little ones and to all my friends and loved ones all over the place. You all made my day so special.
Eventhough today is a proof that I'm getting older by a year again and oobviously, I cannot hide the fact anymore .. waaahhhhhhh !
But, listen to this...everyone gets old right ? Good thing is, being 50 means a lot and an advantage as compared to being in the 20's. Why ? Now I can say I'd been here , there, everywhere and I had learned so much lessons in life through the years. I had matured well in many aspects except for my looks, ok , maybe a bit LOL! Daughter says I look half my age. Ohh yesssss ! Frankly speaking, I don't feel and look old though. Do I ? Tell me the truth please ... but do it slowly ok ? I don't wanna pass out on hearing the truth from you ... LOL!
Now let's go back to my blog and read some history about my birthday month. January is the start of the year and is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the lenght of 31 days. January ( in Latin Ianuarius ) is named after Janus the God of beginnings and transitions; the name has its beginning in Roman mythology coming from the Latin word for door ( janua ) since January is the door to the year. A door, hmmmm... ok, let me do knock knock... who's there ? Garnet !
Garnet who ?
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| " The Red Angel " |
Garnet is the birthstone of January.
Garnet is mined in a rainbow of colors. From the fiery orange of Mandarin Garnet to the rich green of Tsavorite Garnet and to the most widely recognized color of Pyrope Garnet. This stone in particular is considered a great gift to symbolize friendship and trust..
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| This item was already SOLD ! |
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| #CD250G= CRYSTAL GARNET earrings SGD$45 ( Matching Bangle & Necklace also Available ) |
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| Item was already SOLD to a dear friend of mine. ! |
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| Happy new owner of my created earrings ! |
I just love my Garnet birthstone . I love its striking red color and its physical properties.
The January Birthstone, garnet is a deep red crystal, a revered and popular precious stone. The Garnet has long been used as a talisman for protection by tribes and sects. According to legend, possessing or wearing a garnet ensures success and health, for the stone is believed to possess curative powers.
Garnet signifies victory, truth, purity, friendship, faith and protection. The January birthstone is said to symbolize happiness, deep and enduring friendships. The stone has been associated with awareness, commitment, insight and regeneration, countering black magic, negative forces and dark energies.
So there you go my dear friends and readers. The story , history and facts about my birthday month,
So now I guess I can for the moment go and buy myself some well deserved gifts ... don't you think it's about time to spoil myself for a bit now that I am 50 ? OOOooopppssssss ...
So see you later !
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