AngelBQ

I have loads of stuff, images and tales and so I should start now I think before they pile up again:

:::Postponed:::

Our trip went from 31st of January to 6th of February: I misunderstood and failed to pay 14 days before traveling which was the requisite and so we lost the seats. I am not too concerned since we will get more salary before we go and I will still reach the Accounting classes on May 19.

Note to self: I must remember to inform my employers about the changes (the Norwegian government, specifically the labor services).

This time we are heading to Boracay again. Shorter stay though, 2 nights and 3 days. I am eying this place: www.boracay.li.

It’s just that it’s on station 3, but I think the one that we usually stay in http://www.sprboracay.com/rentals_houses_robinsons.shtml is fully booked by now. It’s in station 1, right beside Friday’s. Perfect location and perfect house!

And definitely foodtrips will be this year again! Only difference is that lst year was very planned. And Nurture spa and I really want a second trip to Antonio’s in Tagaytay.

On the way back, we will be staying in Singapore Furama Riverfront hotel near Clarke Quay, Chinatown and Boat Quaye. 2 nights and 2 days since we will be leaving very early from Singapore on the 13th. Arriving in Norway in the evening. We were supposed to leave Singapore late in the evening on the 13th, but it was fully booked. Doesn’t matter though. Less stay there means less spending.

We plan to visit Sentosa, night safari, shopping and dining. Last time i was here when I was a little child traveling with my uncle and his family and my family. The adult went outside while we kids had to stay in the hotel. It was a stopover scheme back then too, so it was only one day. I remember how frightful I was with my encounter of a lizard/butiki.

We usually have a stopover short stay every time we head to the Philippines. 2 years in a row we went to Hongkong using Cathay Pacific, but now we chose Singapore with Singapore Airlines. We take advantage of this because:

It’s cheaper booking through the airlines since it is a special offer for their traveler.

1. I make it a point to make all our travel to the Philippines, meaning we never get to explore other countries. My parents live there and I have to see them as often as I can. I don’t want to waste our vacation spending and time to other places. My parents are more important and luckily my husband agrees to my way of thinking in this matter.

We weren’t planning on doing a lot of stuff actually. My plan and purpse was to be home and find comfort in my family, but since SIL and BIL is joining, I gave to tour them around and besides vacation is such a great commodity that I must make sure that they will enjoy it. I am sure I will leave someone else to tour them while I stay at home some days. I need time with my nephew too of course.

:::Computer back:::

My other PC is back. This time they actually did something with it. They changed the power supply unit instead of getting a note that nothing was wrong just because it started up fine at their service station. Ignoring that it shut down at our place.

Apparently it didn’t start fine this time at their service station and they finally saw my point.

I have so many kits piled up for organizing. Aw man, and I was doing so well. Now to do the dreaded tasks and catch up.

:::Meredith Fenwick’s CT:::

So I gathered courage and applied for the opening in Meredith Fenwick’s creative team. How pleased I was to find out that I was chosen among the many applicants. See the happy announcement here.

And here is my first LO using her new daydream collections:

(click for bigger version)

Credits: Paper-Wildest kit, frame, bellybutton bar and staple-Garden kit, Glitter paint stroke, journal square and red messy stitch-Sunrise kit, love charm, photo corners and parenthesis-Sunset kit (all from Meredith Fenwick’s daydream Collection)White messy stitch from Syrin at Catscrap, white swirly stamp from Dani Mogstad, Special stamp from Katie Pertiet, key from Jen Wilson, husband dictionary definition from Miss Mint, graphic brush and magnet words from Thaos Cosgrove, wordart from Ali Folendore, journal stamp from Nancie Rowe Janitz and stamped wordart from Michelle Coleman Fonts: Courier New and CK Elizabeth, Action: Amanda Keys Vintage Collection

Journaling: I know I haven’t been the best wife i can be and that I haven’t always been easy to be around. I am so sorry for my shortcomings. I promise to make it better. Know this; that all you do for me doesn’t go unnoticed.

:::Bethel:::

We went to Bethel (headquarter of Jehovah’s witnesses for each country) and got a tour around the place and ended up in the hosts apartment. It’s my first time to visit a Bethel and I was amazed at the kindness, how organized it was and how clean. And the whole place was maintained by volunteers who gets their own apartments and each has their role. No salary for their work, no fancy cars for the leaders and everyone lives in a small apartment that is just right for them. They are all humble and live in peace and harmony. I can imagine paradise being close to this.

We were treated to coffee. I am more of the mocha girl and not so much on plain coffee. But the coffee we bought tasted wonderful. It was so dark, yet not bitter. So I asked Kari who conducts bible study with me and she asked the sister who served us. It was a green Zoega and I found it in the local grocery store. And I thought it was found in special coffee stores.

I think it would taste better with a coffee brewer. Ours is ruined at this moment.

:::The Weather:::

…has been erratic. The day we went to Bethel, it finally snowed after so many days of looking like autumn. And it’s January, take note. That day I got lots of blogs updated in my feeds where almost everyone titled their entry as Snow Day. Most from US and Canada.

The succeeding day, it looked like this:

and many days it continued like that. Till some days ago when it snowed like crazy. Till that day it has been biting cold. Yes winter has finally arrived. We were going to visit the twins. The weather was so bad that I got nervous while we were driving. That day many went out of the road.

and many got stuck in the thick snow and needed help getting over the hills of snows that wasn’t plowed yet.

:::Fragile and innocent:::

We arrived safely to the twins. Oh my how adorable they were. I didn’t want to stop carrying them, and I am usually scared to hold something so small. I have many pics, but for now I have one to share.

I haven’t been around a baby for a while and it just strengthened my urge for one. To be holding a small person in your arms, so helpless, so fragile and so innocent is a wonderful experience.

With us was also Arin who is expecting a baby girl. She was with us in Philippines attending our wedding. Since the trip is postponed, I will be able to attend her baby shower.

:::Kitchen conquests::

Usually I am a cluts in the kitchen. If I studied cooking, I think it would be good though since I love gourmet and know so much of ingredients and combinations. I hate preparation, temperature and measurements though.

And anyway, I have almost neglected all house chore as I sit typing in front of the computer the whole day. Sometimes just ignoring the hunger. In my few attempts though I have been lucky and nailed the dishes.

I made California maki sushi. First time at home. I used to work in a sushi restaurant where we helped the chefs, and there we had machines. I lacked avocado, so I just used cucumber. I forgot to fry the sesame seeds first and I should have put the sushi vinegar in the end instead of boiling the rice with it. Other than that it tasted well, and I was most happy about the consistency of the rice and how easy it was to work with it. I kinda forgot how to roll it, but in the end I remembered. All the ingredients was bought in our local grocery store, who before used to have the poorest selection. Since it has been competing with the foreign grocery store who sells exotic things, the selection has been better. I even bought langka there. Of course in an area with a large percentage of foreigners residing, this was the only way to go. My only complaint is that the pickled ginger was too thick. But using a sashimi soy sauce was better than the usual soy sauce as dip.

My second attempt was a fairly easy dish. When I say it was a Walnut crusted chicken breast with spinach, garlic and goat cheese filling, then you’d have all the ingredients right there…almost. Just add egg and flour to coat it with and your good to go. I added some curry, salt and pepper to the flour for added taste.

I discovered the recipe through a tv show with rachael ray. She was once a guest in Oprah and now has her own show. She talked about handy kitchen gadget that time and I just love kitchen gadget.

(this picture was taken from the website)

I love her recipes. Seems easy to make for the average Joe or Joana for that matter.

Update: Today was a bad day in the kitchen. Ugh! Don’t ask. I get very depress on kitchen failure, lol.

Another thing with me and the kitchen is my stress factor. Especially if I have a small space to work with. I hate things falling, squirting, getting oil on me, cutting (when you see me cut, you know I am not a kitchen wiz. I dread the day I will cut in front of my MIL, hehe) and hassles like that. I hate jugling different things. My hubby always points out this to me and he don’t like my moood change when things get to much to handle in the kitchen. Therefore i prefer recipes that have easy procedures.

:::Trip to the OB:::

Dreadful. Haven’t been to one since I was a young teenager suffering from hormonal imbalance.

:::Buys and wanna buys-books:::

Post christmas is a time for sale. I usually don’t like to go out since all stores are on sale. Huge and multiple 50% banners graces all the stores. It’s far to much for me to bear. One day we accompanied hubby’s cousin to a bookstore to buy school books and ofcourse I had some good finds. I didn’t have ample time to buy so I just promised myself to come back and buy and so I did. Who can resist a 70% sale.

I loved the sale items in the hobby and food section and I ended up buying these two (both hardbound):

(Besides from fancy salads, small foods-sushi, mezze and tapas, I love fancy sandwiches)

Yes, I know, wedding is over, but I love style. That’s what’s so fun about style is that all are interrelated. They draw inspiration from each other. Planning a wedding, you can get inspired by interior design trends, scrapbooking can give you inspiration from art and so on and so on.

And besides I am not over my love for wedding just yet.

I love books with lots of images and that teaches about the artform I like (interior design, photography, scrapbooking and weddings). Here are others in my wishlist:

I have always had fascination of wedding photography. Capturing emotions, events and details. Not considering a business, but wedding photography in my opinion enhances the creative aspect and is so inspiring.

I have Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Exposure is one of the most important element, if not the most important, in photography. But still there are aspects that I want to touch, like composition and framing and lighting and other basics to get a good photo. These two I have browsed in the local bookstore. I have picked them up so many times and just browsed through the pages over and over again in different stores, but never bought them. One, books are expensive here and two, I still have the other books to finish reading.

haven’t seen inside of this, but looks appropriate for one like me.

I was so lucky to find this special edition from the publishers of the digital magazine. It is way better than reading the manual that comes with D 50. It has illustrations, is in color and more elaborative.

That manual was part of a special edition monthly thing called photography focus guides (explored the site, but hard to find back copies on the site and other sites in general). Here are other titles I managed to find, but where it is available, I don’t know.

So besides from wedding, the photography aspects that strikes my fancy is macro, actions, moments/emotions/photojournalistic and portraits. Then after that comes landscapes, architecture and the rest.

Shabby style is soon becoming one of the interior style that I am loving the most. So soft, romantic and vintage with prisms/chandeliers, chipped white wood and soft pastels and floral patterns. This book below is a book about projects like quiltmaking and other stuff, but the area and hobby room and other rooms in that books are plained gorgeous and eye candy. It makes me want to have a creative room the more in this theme.

But of course this is just for the hobby room. I still love contemporary the most, and then elegant and then oriental/middle east/moroccan.

And then baby stuff. These books are journals with a twist. With pockets for memorabilia. Love the layout of the whole book and the questions and stuff. Lovely, lovely book that I will buy when I get pregnant and the one below book one for the first year of the child. If ever I get blessed with one.

:::Buys and wanna buys-home:::

In our local mini mall, there is a small gift shop who has a 70% sale, so I bought these made from tin can materials. Love the colors and it’s shabby too.

These frames is also in line with the shabby style and is available in foto knudsen, a photo developing store. There are other colors available.

And these I already have. Bought it a month ago I think. I love the scent of these filling the house. I bought also cranberry which I use the most and lemongrass. From before, I have caribbean seabreeze and apple. I also love melon which they don’t have anymore since the brand they manufacture is different now.

I am the type that loves using my senses. Smell, sight (thus my hobby are photography and all things connected to style) and taste. I just so love how God created our senses and how many pleasures we can get from them.

And I am not a big fan of the infomercials and tvshop thing since mom bought a wonder detergent that didn’t do zip ages ago. But still it sits in my mind and I have always been skeptical about these.

But these items I just couldn’t help but crave. The juicemaker is actually my hubby who wants the most. Fresh juice is his cravings.

Other wishes:

1. saute pan
2. meat pounder (so I don’t need to use the rolling pin)
3. electronic knife sharpener
4. bigger food processor
5. mixer
6. coffee brewer
7. new set of casseroles
8. steamer
9. baking forms
10. waffle iron

:::Buys and wanna buys-photography:::

So silly that they didn’t think of the shortcomings of d5o before. Now I want this instead although it’s not practical and I would never spend now that we are going to travel. And I would have to find someone to buy the d50.

d40 is an improved version of d50.

the basic difference:

1. ISO goes up to 3200, not just 1600
2. stronger built in flash
3. D40 has 2.5 inches LCD screen and with 230000 pixels, while D50 has 2 inches and 130000 pixels.
4. Handles more than 2 GB memory card, while d50 only handles up to 2 GB.
5. Smaller in size and weighs less

and there are some others too…

The list is long in photography wishlist

1. Portable reflector
2. 85 mm f 1.8
3. macro lens
4. screen for the built in flash
5. more memory cards
6. remote
7. gorillapod or a small tripod
8. big solid tripod
9. polarization filter
10. wide angle lens
11. fisheye
12. Pretty Boy Crumpler XL in orange and white as seen on last post)
13. various books
14. A new camera house, Nikon too. Nikon d200.

A girl is allowed to dream, right, hehe.

:::The Website:::

It’s going so well with our site. I spent a lot of time with this the couple of days and I haven’t even talked so much about it here. This was a project that just snowballed. Started as an exchange of ideas with Aggie and then we got a forum. As I was looking for a host for a gallery, I saw the possibilities of bridging a forum and a gallery. Found a flash chat for a small fee and bridged that too. May trials along the way and trouble shooting since I didn’t acquire services from a site maker and did it all myself. Twice I consulted with the hosting site’s 24/7 chat module and they were very friendly and helpful (www.powweb.com). Then the blog is now live too. Check it out at http://phpdigiscrapper.com/home and snag the blinkie I made below if you want. The forum is already filled with posts in a short span of period. So far we are 38 members. In the old forum we were almost 200 and I even had to delete some because they never answered the pre approval form and some were still in the pending members. But not all were active and those who were and managed to check my message about the move, re registered.

Buge, another member, has created 2 other blinkies already. They are a talented bunch! It always shows on our challenges and contests.

If you are a Philippine digiscrapper, we would love to have you with us.

Discovering this hosting service make me want to move this blog too. Imagine that this blog is now hosted for 18.95 a month and 40 gb bandwidth monthly and 3,000 mb disk space, while powweb is 5 plus a month only, succeeding year a little higher per month and 800 gb bandwidth a month (our site’s bandwidth so far is almost not visible in the percentage bar) and 4,000 mb disk space. What a significant difference.

I just stumbled upon and wanted livingdot because I wanted a photoblog. And the livingdot’s photoblog script looked nice to me. But powweb has coppermine and simpleviewer and other means of gallery that I can use. I never explored my alternatives that time.

Another hosting service that is nice and cheap too is Siteground.

By the way, when I go home, we will be having an EB with the bebots! I am so excited and even in Singapore, I will meet Jacq for a second time!

:::More photo stuff:::

Love nobs photo success. Thanks to Holly for pointing this site. With their cheap actions, combined with tutorials, you can really make a photo pop colorwise.

These flowers are from mom’s garden. She is so proud of them and it’s her hobby nowadays.

:::The trip to the OB Gyne:::

So I went to my appointment January 22. I haven’t slept almost a day at that time and went straight from he computer at 8 am for the appointment. I almost forgot about the schedule and to be honest, I wasn’t so motivated since I planned already to have an apt. in the Philippines as well. My sis and some more has told that pap smear here was much more painful than down in Pinas. So all I wanted from this meeting is orientation and advice on how to conceive and a blood test to check if I was hormonally imbalanced like the one I had on my first and last visit to the OB Gyne during my 2 month long period when I was 11-12 yrs old.

But apparently it wasn’t so this time. She asked me to go to the other chair, “the chair”. I tried to explain that I wanted to take the test in the Philippines and explained the whole thing, about how my sis was in tears the last time I accompanied her to the same office and same doctor. She said that that was the worst argument she has heard and that we shouldn’t have kids, because what more pain it will be during birth. But as she said to my sister, the motivation is different in birth.I didn’t wanted to throw that back on her. But she checked my ovaries and it wasn’t painful, but I hate spreading my legs unexpectedly. I wasn’t prepared and I was clumsy this meeting and so anxious and tense and felt like a little child about the whole thing. Hate not being in control of a situation.

Anyway, she measured my ovaries and found out that they are small in size. Not abnormally small, but she said that we should not postpone conceiving. I wonder if ever get to conceive, will I be able to have enough time to conceive a second one.

Although I didn’t take offense in what she said and how she said it. I understand that people have their ways, their tones and one just has to accept that it’s just their ways and they don’t mean anything about it. I am somewhat sensitive, but I am understanding.

Anyway, I learned that almost always, despite irregular period, the period will come 14 days after the fertile period. I know so little about the reproductive process and the anatomy of a woman than what I should know in the age of 29 and married. If I didn’t get motivated to have kids even more nowadays, I would never know the signs of a fertile period.

:::Business Ideas:::

Part of me wants to be in Philippines talaga and then a part of me wants to be here in Norway. I want to start a business there. I want to do something that is fun, not a routine. Then again, there are still stuff that makes me not want to. I am here and

I am so full of ideas of what I want to do, but the thing is, can it be competitive. Will it earn and be enough for our living.

We have a rental space in front of our house. The parlor didn’t go so well (too bad for Bizzi, who annually straightens his hair there-and it takes 8 hrs above, so it was a plus being near our house).

:::Work and future plans:::

Hubby was called up by his temp job, Ringnes. Ringnes manufactures Pepsi among other brands. It’s where my dad used to work. Every year, without fail, they call him up and he always work 8 months or more a year. usually he starts March so we thought that he would just be in time for that.

This year though they started earlier. They called the other day, and upon learning that we were out to travel, they said they would call again. And hubby was afraid that they would find someone else. But today they called again and asked if he could start working abut before he leaves and they even asked him if he could work on the day he comes home.

Our flight is 7:50, and if he would work night the day evening before, he would still have to end early to be in time for check in. It wouldn’t work and poor guy, such a long journey and be coming straight from work. And we are coming home 8:45 pm in Norway on the Th. Would he, after 15 hours of journey go straight to work? I think that’s asking to much. I hope he convinces them that he can rest for at least a day before and after.

On my part, I will be taking up a refresh course in accountancy for 10 months which is a course that is ran by the job services in Norway. I am afraid that once again, our different schedule will be a hassle for us and that it may be bad for us trying to conceive.

:::Thanks:::

I am just so grateful for my husband. He has been so good at doing chores since I have been so negligent with my duties. He has been so understanding and does not hold a grudge against me for being a not so good and attentive wife at these days. He is so mild, meek, patient and sweet. He is just so kind and I feel blessed to have him by my side. He even joins me in my bible studies. And I am sometimes temperamental, but he handles me so well, and I can’t help but smile away my temper. He knows how to tame me. And he never gets temperamental on me.

I am glad that the other PC is fixed. I miss sitting beside him on the computer and putting my feet up on his lap while I sit typing away the hours.

:::Vanity corner:::

I have to get my eyebrow plucked before I leave. It’s alway my sister in law that does that for me. And I will go back to contacts in my vaccation. I don’t know why, but I am more concious of my looks down in Pinas than here. Maybe it’s because i will have more time. I really don’t know.

To those who don’t know it yet, I am very fond of make up, but don’t apply it enough. I have quite a collection, although I haven’t added more lately since preps, with exception of pink blush from loreal. I love the pink sweet cheeks look. Didn’t like the brand so much though. It doesn’t sit well. I saw one from estee lauder, but it was rather expensive for one like me who use it so rare.

I am very femi in thinking and style, but in action and real life, I am very rugged. I said this before. I prefer snickers to heels. Heels are prettier to look at, but I will never be comfortable in one.

It must be because of how I was in the past. I was a cowgirl before. Tambay ng Batibot and the smoke filled billiaran. Rocker. Alternative. Liked Converse and Vans. That was me then. I won’t even elaborate on other mischiefs. Now I am an adult.I have lived my youth. I will always be young in heart as I promised myself to be, but gone are the I want to have fun and be selfcentered and do things detriemental to me and indulge in pleasures. I have diverted to other sort of funs. I stopped smoking. I drink one glass of wine only. I do not curse anymore. And I study the bible. I do not rebel or shout or answer back my parents. I am so glad to step over to this side of life. Just the smoking alone is a big victory for me. Being in control over the urge and not the other way around. I always struggled with this and will fall back. But studing the bible and praying gave me strength.

Back vanity. My husband is sort of one. Not unbalanced, but he always wants to look good. He don’t spend long hours getting ready, but he smells terrific everytime he goes out.

:::Two days in the making, last one and credits:::

This post I started last night. As I lay in bed I was thinking of two things I had to include which I forgot by now. I am so into this blogging thing. I mean who writes so long posts, really. But then again, I never update these days. I do remember though how I blogged frequently and lengthily for a period, and even maintained another blog for freebie finds.

I think I am the sort that always has to be occupied all the time. Somehow when a thing that takes time ends for me, I always end up finding a new thing to dive in. It began with wedding planning and bloghopping I think (or actually before that, geeky stuff). Then blogging. Then scrapbooking. Then a forum and then you know the rest. But thing’s are going to change hopefully.

My real purpose of this trip is to divert, to find comfort and advice from my family and to indulge in what is going to be my new form of life; a life devoted to God, with God on top of it all. The other will follow I guess. All his words are meant to lead us into the right direction, so dedicating our life to Him and learn about Him through his words, the bible, and show it in action will also straighten out the other aspects. The bible is timeless. Its advice are still up to date for these times. And as Nice so appropriately quoted “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you”- James 4:8. Isn’t it a nice and powerful notion to have God beside us and watching over us. I will be meeting Nice if we both find the time. It’s nice to have companions in faith.

So this will be my last post before I go I think. Unless i have some big news to reveal. Look I babble so much that I almost checked off all categories.

By the way, I am so gald that zoundry helps me out when blogging. Itæs such a handy wysiwyg standalone editor when it comes to blogging. It supports most blogs. http://www.zoundry.com/download.html is the site to download this free software.

I used actions on my pictures. Various actions from itty bitty, daylight glow (made it from a tutorial), nobs photo success, Amanda Keys vintage action and Gothic glow.