Single Parenting Weekend

     Whenever H would be out of town before,  I would totally shut myself out of the outside world and concentrate on work and being both mom and dad for a while.  After some time though and after turning down so many tempting invites, I made a conscious decision to okay, give into some. 


     The weekend before last was one such weekend and I am glad I did what I did. Since you, guys sent me such sweet messages about my last post the other weekend, I decided to fill you in on another one. =-) Is it okay?

Friday 9-19-11

     Friday afternoon at 5 was when my weekend actually began. I was meeting up with friends from design school who were working on their exhibit. I wanted to take a peek and say hello. They are my former batch mates after all. Mommy-hood and architecture-hood made me go lighter on my school load and delayed me by a year. Itchokay! 

     I was with our Ethics teacher who is younger than me (and cuter) and the minute we entered the exhibit hall which was already in crazy construction mode, I was every one's Tita (aunt and actually mommy to some) again and a proud one. 

     Please do visit their exhibit when it opens October 1st at SM North Edsa, okay?

No, this job site is not spared from  the funnies! haha!

     We had dinner with some of them after. Gosh, I am so gonna miss them all over again after tonight. 

     This is gossip central, turbo-blasted. Haha!

The one on the left is our teacher.....Pechay has a microphone pa.

Saturday 9-20-11

     Saturday morning found me sleepy but excited for collage class. This is our second round of art classes and I don't want them to end. I was looking forward to going a bit quirky and almost Hallmark-y with my current piece but Teacher Toots will not hear of it. Teehee! 

     That afternoon was pleasantly free so I stayed in my room and read.....the afternoon away.

My two besties friends that day. Thanks for the book, Ms. Ge!
Yes, I am into K-Pop. Will tell you about it soon. =-)

     That night I could not sleep I began sorting out things in one of my closets and it was freaking me out to leave it like this....     

      So between 'facebooking' and actually organizing stuff I finished this...dawn the next day....YAAAAAAWn!

      Sob, sob, sob! So many more closets to go.....

Sunday 9-21-11

     The kids were joining the Temple Hill Children's Choir in playing music for the 9 am mass at the chapel in White Plains. So it was another early start for us. Yaaaaaawn!

My two kids play the violin.  Guess which ones they are.

      I don't know what it is but every time they play for church, we all get super hungry after. I will post about the place soon. It is another wonderful 'northern' find, Stacy's.

     The last leg of the weekend found us at home again. I am on term break after all and had nothing to do. Yellow got busy baking in the kitchen and I got busy figuring out (with Blue's help) H's new coffee contraption......Hala! 

 The perfect end to a perfect single parenting weekend. =-)))

     

      

Mid-Century Modern Love

     I spent my early childhood living in a typical Filipino chalet complete with large capiz windows, wide wood plank floors, a silong and a breezy veranda in the entryway. My parents are both fond of traditional Filipino antique furniture and our home was filled with them. We did have dining room furniture that stood out because it was ‘modern’ but it was the set I loved the most.  In fact I found myself then to be fascinated with other people’s ‘modern’ furniture more than ours.  They were not antiques or vintage then. They were relatively new. In the early 70's mid-century modern was relatively new.

     Little by little I saw these pieces and homes being discarded or demolished. Sad,  I thought. 

     A few years ago,  a lot of mid-century pieces began popping up everywhere. You see them in blogs, magazines, even eBay.  

I know who owns this house on the cover of RL Jan-Feb 2009!

     I could not be happier that I am not the only one who loves them. There is a whole universe that does too. =-))) I must admit there is also an alter-universe that thinks it's groovy …but that’s just them.

    

      There is a store that shares my love for mid-century modern in a very mid-century modern way  - not a glossy, highway robbery type of store and it is Space Encounters.

    Furniture pieces are reproductions but nonetheless beauuutiful!

   

     Little cutesies too....

is that? huh? yep!

     My faves are the pillows...

     

     Though prices are not cheap especially for a struggling architect/ writer like me, browsing is free right? ....or maybe I can get a special discount somehow…Let me check….Wilmer? hehe!

     I did not go home empty handed though. I don't think anyone can....Look what cuteness I got!

     My new camera case!!!!

    I am also looking for a new office desk....and am thinking of getting this....

     Hellen wanted this...

    But my friends and I cannot disagree that no one cannot not love this...

.

    Space Encounters from mid-century and beyond…..Love it!

Custom-made Furniture. Accessories. Curiosities. K-pop.

Mon-Fri: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sat: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Unit B Mezzanine,Padilla Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr., Ortigas Center

Mary Grace, Never Fails

     When H and I want a good, reasonably priced meal on an ordinary working day, we head to Café Mary Grace. They have a branch in Robinson’s Ermita which is near the office. =-)))

     What started out as an ensaymada business in bazaars is now I must say a café staple in Manila.  They have certainly come a long way from ensaymada. They have salads, pasta, sandwiches, delicious flavored iced teas and of course their wonderful desserts.

     We were at their Trinoma branch last week on a Tuesday as I was doing preps for a shoot. Happy with our meal as usual....

Their yummy iced teas 

Classic Carbonara P 208

Prawn Salad with mango P 275

Mango Bene P 115

Black Velvet P 100

      Mary Grace's ensaymada is a pasalubong favorite or welcome gift to friends but that is not the only thing you take home with you from Mary Grace.....

Five Days in the Life of Me

     I promised to blog every Wednesday and on weekends. Last weekend though I simply posted this. It was not exactly a busy weekend but I had lots in my mind and lots more to put into it since finals were looming in design school.

Saturday....

     But first I had to finish preliminary designs for a bath house....I know big project..haha!

     Then I had to study for Professional Ethics....

     Blue and Samson kept me company. Look at the mess. No, this is not my living room.

     I had to get dressed for dinner with our cousins, Jojo and Marve at Maimee's Garden Cafe . They are becoming our steady foursome dating buddies. =-)))

     Dinner was wonderful at Maimee's but I could not take good pictures of the pace since there was a party happening there that night. I shall return and tell you more about it soon. For now....droool...hehe!

     Find our more about them here.

Sunday...

   After church was breakfast at my parents' house for Grandparent's Day. Of course my mom served bacon which Blue loves....

    Then back home to study again until midnight.....

(Of course I was not studying the whole time. I played with Samson, scolded the kids, etc)

Monday....

     EXAAAAAMS!!!!

     Dropped by Starbucks before school to study again.....

      I am loving their new sandwiches.
      This is Tuna Waldorf...Yums!

     After school, my mom fetched me to attend the blessing of the new chapel of the St. Paul sisters' retreat house complex in Alfonso, Cavite.....A bit of postmodern there.

Tuesday....

     Did preps for a shoot and lunch at Mary Grace with H and Yellow...

     Click! This is for the November issue of Real Living, organizing your bathroom sink...Watch out for that!

       Had a long night...slept roughly three hours to make it to tomorrow's submission....

Wednesday...

     Last plate submission for trends in interior Design under Arch't Gene Flancia....

    This is my take on design forecasting. I am looking forward to the use of more earth-friendly materials as cork, bamboo, reclaimed wood, earth plaster and refurbished vintage furniture. Sheets and upholstery made of organic and natural fabrics will hopefully be the norm. Personally, I am loyal to mid-century modern. As for the style?  I guess being an architect makes me partial to clean, modern lines which I believe can house any style of furniture.

=-)...but that's just me....

     I headed to the job site after but I did not take a pic. I was there five minutes   (SHHH!) ....I wanted to go home....

     ...................5 days!