Saturday, April 28, 2012

guest posting at Like A Bird

Soon-to-be mommy Kendra of the art/life/inspiration blog Like A Bird is on a blog maternity leave!  When she asked if her readers would like to help her out by guest posting, I responded right away.  I've always liked reading her posts, especially on creating visual / art journals.  Which reminds me--I haven't drawn, or written, anything in my journal lately.  Pfft!

So, while Kendra is off preparing for her mommyhood, I'm here to share my post over at her blog:


I shared some of my film photographs with the blog's readers!  I hope they like it.  :)  I hope you also show Kendra some love and well-wishes for her little family!  Click the screencap to take you to the guest post.




and the verdict

hey i can play a bit of badminton now, thanks to supportive teammates and opposing teams who play even less than i do.  hurrah.

but let me just say:

veteran players--i'm talking about those who make the court their homes twice, thrice a week and probably have been playing for years--are no fun.  why? because they want to really, really win.  us beginners want to 'just play' and learn and have fun while doing it (okay, and also win, but what are the odds, realistically?).  a sportsfest doesn't guarantee you have the same skill level among players, unlike the olympics where everyone goes through some sort of selection process to determine if the player is good enough to play.  oh well, the month-long sportsfest is for sporty people, not happy ones (hahaha).  i was "reunited" with some co-employees who became happy acquaintances and we had fun laughing at ourselves.  sometimes we chuckled over how square-faced the veterans were.  well you can't really tell the veterans to lower down their skill level, right?  so uh, i guess we could just ignore their superpowers and clown out the games--by doing so we'll not only have good fun (and the "spirit of camaraderie") but also we won't feel bad about not having badminton as our primary sport.  on another note, they should even be glad we beginners signed up for them to play with.  and by play i mean like a cat with a mouse.  but it was fun, really.

anyway!  the highlight (for me) of the badminton games was the arrival of the director and assistant director of the human resource department.  i had submitted my resignation letter earlier in the week and they called me to ask about it.  they asked about my reasons (studies) and plans (get my MA, perhaps teach later).  they were okay with it and wished me luck.  they even approved of my suggestion/recommendation for a replacement when i leave.  i mentioned in my letter that i and my officemates know of a fellow sociology graduate who's currently working for another institution's extension program and who would be willing to take up my post.  just like that, i already felt free.

there are just some more projects and tasks i have to finish before i leave.  i want to make sure everything's settled and properly turned over.  by june first i'll officially be a freelancer and graduate student, but for now i'll be smashing all my career frustrations in that bad, bad, badminton court.  lol.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

illustration friday: heights


my first submission for illustration friday, for this week's topic heights.
i originally did it in watercolor, but i wasn't too happy with the way things turned out (i really need to practice) so i just made it into the next best thing.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

sun & sand

last weekend my family escaped the summer heat of the city by diving into the summer heat of the beach.  :P  we went to playa calatagan in batangas and spent our time beachcombing, swimming, and eating.  :)  we were also supposed to camp out (i had already set up our tent), but unfortunately we had some really loud & lewd neighbors in the campsite, so we decided to pack up our things (i gave the noisy neighbors the evil eye as we left) and just sleep in the cabanas.  i have a lot of unpleasant things to say about my experience in playa calatagan but won't write about them here--this post is for the fun stuff and being with family.

 with my supermom! btw, i love my summer dress--it's by sun n' sand (hence the title of this post), and it's thrifted! :)

 "me" pictures! i can't believe i have pictures of me.  good thing ige has his own digital camera to take photos of me with! hahaha.  (yes, i'm usually the one "not in photo".)  in this photo i'm holding up my mom's bestseller shrimp dish, which we happily feasted on for lunch.

 fan + atomizer from cd-r king!  it really helped cool my burning skin.  department stores sell the same kind of gadget for nearly 400 pesos; i got it from cd-r king for less than 200.  :)

my mom the grill queen--here preparing my favorite chicken inasal!

my niece is so active we had to reapply sunblock every now and then.

again with my secret weapon

my dad, ever the adventurer, scooped up this sea urchin from the beach at low tide.  my baby sister critiques.

 ta-da! our tent's all set up!  i have my mountaineering experience (and my big brother, in the black jersey behind the tent) to thank for.

proud homeowners, hahaha

 ige took sunset photos while i frolicked on the beach.

 come nighttime, i attempted to write.

the little boy has woken up.

dawn presented my dad with a photo op.

my niece and i enjoy our poses.

dudes



we played frisbee after xx years!

it was ige's first time to play but he easily got the hang of it :)

under the sea :)

 i float easily--the skill saves me from cramps.


my sisters' fabulous hair!

 bubbles! 

i like this photo.





ige has a lo-fi digital underwater camera. he used it to take photos and a short video clip of the jacuzzi bubbles ;)

 squirt! 

 niece, baby sis, younger sis, and the beach

 mom and niece, who both love to swim

 everybody!

 a little wackiness before leaving

cheers!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

soup migration: igetrinidad.com

from soup migration: igetrinidad.com: my online portfolio is finally up! laurie sure did a swell (html + css) job. thank you!


-------------------------------
[you're welcome, we should go for another crepe! :)]

like ige said, it's finally up! after weeks of selecting works, fiddling with the html and css, and tweaking little blog details, we finally finished his portfolio site.  it feels good to come up with a simple and straightforward site that showcases ige's talent.  i'm so proud.  :)  we're hoping the move opens up new opportunities for him work-wise as well as on the more 'artistic' side.


check out igetrinidad.com! :)

Thursday, April 12, 2012

satay jellyfish




a couple of officemates who went to malaysia for a conference brought home some treats, including this satay jellyfish.  sweet and tastes a bit like squid!  it feels kinda odd.  i hope i don't get an allergic reaction of some sort, haha.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

bye for now

getting ready for the Holy Week vacation, i again worry about my plant, who will be left for five days without light. i grab her and take her to the still-vacant director's office (my boss left last february), drew up one of the blinds, and put her by the window.  bye for now, plant. see you next week.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

kayni's kreations!

i had a phase: when i was nineteen you wouldn't see me without hearing me first--i wore anklets with (manobo) hawk-eye bells, and i literally jingle-jangled as i walked.  i would buy and wear 'unique' accessories with my school uniform to somehow peel myself away from the rest of the blue-skirted crowd.  i was a rebel like that.  fun times.

now, i don't wear that many accessories anymore save for a few bracelets made of synthetic leather.  the 'happy stuff' all come out on happy, special, non-office occasions though, which gives me another reason to look forward to june, when i'd have quit my job to focus on my studies, and which means i'll have more opportunities to go out with all my funky happy stuff. :)

i have a love: i collect little 'shabby chic' and 'vintage' trinkets, stationery, books, wooden toys, photos.  it makes me think perhaps i was born in the wrong decade, the wrong country.  i have a fixation for anything made by hand--cards, illustrations, folded paper, letters, ribbons.  i'm an old soul like that.

so when kayni shared about her beading and opened her shop kayni's kreations, i was happy for her for nurturing a great love, and i could only watch in awe as she created bracelet after bracelet, necklace after necklace, inspired by the colors of the seasons and of her own igorot heritage.  i think she has an innate talent of simply knowing what looks good.  too bad i'm way over here at the other side of the world near the equator!

kayni's etsy shop took me back to my accessories-hoarding phase and a cheery item there caught my eye, taking me further back to the age of ten, playing with friends in the summer:


it also takes me forward to the start of the schoolyear, when one's excited to meet and hang out with new friends (while walking under the campus' acacia and fire trees).  that feeling.

another favorite is this pair of earrings--classic, timeless, and would go great with anything (especially those frilly lace dresses)!

so pretty.  these also remind me of my mom <3

kayni also has some paper 'kreations' which are so cute they'd make you want to be at your crafting best all the time.  

these hang tags are perfect for any occasion and purpose.  and look at the colors--the colors! (i'm a sucker for green / moss green, haha.)


oh, and now that easter's nearing, here's a little cuteness around the corner:
happy spring! er, summer (in this part of the world)


the online shop is off to a great start! i can see it not only having the photos of her adorable kreations, but of her accessories being worn, and her paper krafts being used as well.  i'm already envious of not being there for the fun photoshoot! :)

i'm wishing the best of luck to kayni and her shop, may she continue to make more lovely, unique, and colorful creations.  but wait, there's more! she's doing a giveaway, so head on over to her craft blog kayni's kreations and give her some more love!