poink!

pie in a jar! yum!

2010-01-25T16:40:00.001+08:00

clipped from www.ourbestbites.com

Single Serving Pie in a Jar

test post

2009-11-05T14:22:00.000+08:00

testing

adorable cookie boxes

2009-07-06T17:37:00.001+08:00

love it!

clipped from www.thedieline.com

Mambajamba is a new kind of animal cracker that pairs two fun flavors
together. Cinnamon & Honey, Caramel & Vanilla or Original &
Pink frosted are a few of the varieties. The cookies are packaged in
two separate compartments that flip backwards to reveal a pop-up
animal. The packaging also aims to educate kids about different species
of animals. The different eyes on the front of each box as well as the
fun facts on left side of the box act as hints to indicate which animal
will pop-up on the inside!"

marshmallow boxes?

2009-07-06T17:19:00.001+08:00

cute...wasteful and unnecessary, but cute O_o

clipped from www.notcot.com

Ford & Ching + Marshmallows- 06.26.09

Ford & Ching (Previously FordBrady, but Brady has moved on and Ching has joined Ford) ~ while at Dwell on Design this morning, i got a branded marshmallow in a box ~ a very cool little wooden box cut to perfectly fit a single marshmallow.

Learn To Take Time Off

2009-07-03T11:52:00.004+08:00

(a forwarded email ü)

Learn To Take Time Off

On the seventh day He rested from all His work. - Genesis 2:2 NIV

Are you tired all the time? Even after sleeping? Do you keep going to the doctor but he can't find anything wrong with you? You may be experiencing the symptoms of burnout. Long periods of overexertion can cause fatigue, sleeplessness and stress. Some other signals of burnout are crying for no reason, being easily angered, insecurity, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism and resentment toward the blessings of others. Recognise any of these in yourself?

One reason God established the Sabbath was to keep us from burning out. The law of the Sabbath simply says that we can work six days, but on the seventh we need to rest; also to spend time worshipping God and having fellowship with His people. Even God rested after six days work. Now since God doesn't get tired, clearly He's giving us an example we should follow. In Old Testament times the land had to rest after six years. No sowing and reaping was permitted in the seventh year (See Exod 23:10-12). During this time everything recovered and prepared for future production.

We argue that we cannot afford to take time off. The truth is, we can't afford not to! You say, "But I would never get anything done if I did that." Then you're too busy and something needs to change in your life. When you're too busy to obey God's commandments, and even follow His example, you'll pay the price. What you sow, you reap. If you sow continual stress with no rest to offset it, you'll reap the results in your body, your mind, your emotions, your health and your relationships.

So, rearrange your priorities and learn to take time off!

Gianni Berengo Gardin: Photographer

2009-06-03T12:22:00.001+08:00

interesting read today...

clipped from www.auspiciousdragon.net

My most famous photo is the one of the vaporetto in Venice, with all those reflections…. Actually, for a number of years I didn’t even think it was a good photo. The problem with photographers is that you tend to measure the importance of a photograph by the effort needed to take it. If it requires a great effort, like climbing a cold and wind-swept mountain, you think that you have created a masterpiece, when really it ought to be scrapped. When Bischof returned from his travels, he didn’t choose his photographs personally but asked his wife Rosellina, who had stayed behind at home, to do it for him, saying, ‘She sees the image and judges that alone. She does not consider all the factors that lie behind the image, all the sensations I felt. There may be a place, a house, with a beautiful melody that still haunts me, but she can’t hear that piece of music, and therefore she isn’t influenced by it.’

CHOCOLATE apple pie...?

2009-04-02T11:50:00.001+08:00

i think Gabe will want to try this one... =P

clipped from www.kayotic.nl

Chocolate Apple Pie

I asked the baker/poster about it, and she mentioned something about having combined several different recipes. It still didn’t explain the name “Dutch apple tart’ to me. I was intrigued. And I still am. Especially because I’ve seen it all over—anywhere from Dutch apple tart and Dutch meatballs to Dutch split pea soup. It confuses me as much as it intrigues me. Is it a trend or something, to name a dish/recipe Dutch?

who wants to be an explorer?

2009-04-01T21:10:00.001+08:00

clipped from www.swiss-miss.com

i want...

2009-03-20T20:01:00.001+08:00

i've been itching to try and make homemade pizza for the longest time... (but how to get the 450+ degree heat! *groan* the best NY and italian pizzas go up to 800...wah!)

clipped from www.thegoodmoodfoodblog.com

:: RAINY DAY MEDITERRANEAN HOMEMADE PIZZA

Getting homemade pizza right is a real art, I used to make it a lot when I was a kid and slowly perfected it over the years! One of my favourite things to do was to try different topping combinations from Asparagus and Spinach, to Feta and Rocket. One of the great things about pizza is that it's just so customisable. I also recommend experimenting with the tomato sauce as it can really enhance the overall flavour. The main thing I find when mixing is always to make sure your dough is not too moist as this creates a really unpleasant doughy taste when cooked. Here is my standard recipe for a great pizza dough, I'm not sure where the original came from as I know it by heart!

mmmm...

2009-03-17T21:17:00.001+08:00

...something to try =)

clipped from www.thekitchn.com

Recipe: Easy Ethereal Popovers

At the risk of waxing overly rhapsodic, popovers might just be the ideal winter food. In spite of their reputation as fickle and disaster-prone, these quick breads couldn't be simpler to make - and the reward of a piping hot, crusty bun will be worth 10 times the effort.

In the morning, whisk together a short list of ingredients, pop the pan in to bake, and finish getting dressed. Before you step out into the cold winter air, pull the steamy buns from the oven and spoon a dollop of good jam on top, or just eat them as is. They're also great dipped in a bowl of comforting winter soup. We pull the layers apart slowly, starting with the flaky and crispy outside, and finishing with the moist middle.

A variation of Yorkshire pudding, popovers are hollow, eggy, muffin-size breads. They "pop over" the sides of the pan as they bake, forming tall crowns with airy yet slightly custardy insides.

Check out how easy the recipe is:

surprise!

2008-03-08T15:27:00.002+08:00

March 7, 2008 ... will remember this day forever. my mom, my ate and i planned it all out...we were going to have a surprise baby shower that day for my younger sis, roselle. we planned everything, then i emailed my titas and cousins, and my mom even booked the hotel 2 months ahead. the plan was to make it seem like my sister had a client appointment at the penn, and there we would surprise her. perfect right?

thursday night, 11pm, the night before the shower,...i got a call from my mom...my sister was on her way to the hospital, she was bleeding..! i prayed nothing was wrong. my ate and i drove to the hospital sometime past midnight, and we spent the night in the cold cold hospital (waaah)...and to think all week i hadn't slept more than 2 hours each night because of work! sleepless freezing hours later, at 5:40 am on friday my baby sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. physically drained yet emotionally on high, i can't even begin to describe what i was feeling when we were allowed to finally peek through the window to see her. (well...as best as i could see through sleepy-barely-open eyes anyway..O_o) she was so cute! (will post pictures soon as i get them)

as we prepared to leave the hospital and go to work (ugh)...my ate, in her usual bossy voice, quipped,
"o ha...don't forget yung baby shower mamaya"

Ingrid Calla Sipin-Natanauan...you're going to be just full of surprises, aren't you?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time.
-- from Ecclesiastes 3

let us moodle!

2007-10-19T11:10:00.000+08:00

"the imagination needs moodling, --long, inefficient happy idling, dawdling and puttering." ~Brenda Ueland
"moodle, verb., to allow procrastination to take over to the point where your imagination is fully engaged and does whatever it wants to." - Keri Smith, wish jar journal

are we getting too techy for our own good?

2007-10-09T11:22:00.001+08:00

clipped from www.frogdesign.com

With gigabytes of storage and super zoom, with blogs and message boards, I believe we have lost some of that closeness of the family identity, some of that creativity. We have become so focused on capturing the facts – who was there, what was said – that we have forgotten the pleasures and benefits of creating a subjective oral history. Rather than share within our families, we have become too focused on sharing with the world.

what i learned playing polar bear...

2007-10-05T12:13:00.000+08:00

in a polar bear game,

:: i am not a small group leader (or worship team-mate, or KC teacher, or friend...)

:: smiling sometimes works, sometimes it doesn't. learn how to put on a polar bear face.

:: don't challenge hilary-real-chieftain or gayette-real-chieftain. it's scary O_o it makes your hands shake .. wahaha

:: listen very, very carefully. watch out for the "i think"s. verrrry important to not say "i think". kahit villager ka lang...don't say "i think"

:: BUT ... think before you speak. if you talk too much...you're a polar bear. if you don't talk at all...you're a polar bear. good luck.

:: you can be exposed as an undercover polar bear...but if you're cute enough, they won't vote you out yet (thanks yas!)

and lastly, what i learned about playing polar bear,

:: iya and i suck at being a polar bear chieftains

----------
photos courtesy of
gayette, a beary beary fun evening
hilary, of maya birds and polar bears / singles reunion
veejay, singles night
mai hern, sg photos

carpe diem?

2007-10-04T22:10:00.000+08:00

sometimes an unplanned tuesday is the best day in the week for discovering fresh ideas, new faces...and good chocolate cake :P

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes
You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it. ~Charles Buxton
Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think. ~Chinese Proverb

--------
pictures at lambert's site, the day we kidnapped ms polly pocket

10 Largest Malls in the World

2007-08-29T21:08:00.000+08:00

of the 10... 3 of them are in the Philippines (Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North)

wow...considering we're so much smaller than Canada and China, where the others are located.

[edit]

check out the photo slide at Forbes.com

rainy, rainy holiday [blurb]

2007-08-27T10:00:00.000+08:00

it's a Monday... it's a holiday...and it's raining :P i feel so lazy...like this cat here. :P

i want to do so many things...start some changes and just...do so many things i don't know where to start... for myself... at home...at work... in church...

but today... i'll just rest.

just like this cat here. :P

Amazing Grace...the story behind the song

2007-08-20T13:09:00.000+08:00

so many people talaga are being touched by our amazing grace series :)

last night we sang the song Amazing Grace (for both afternoon and evening services), one of the most hymns of all time. Jose sang it beautifully...many people were crying. (i actually had to choke back my tears singing onstage...) it was composed in the 18th century, and hearing again the Chris Tomlin version i remembered the movie "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce. i haven't seen it yet, it wasn't shown here in the philippines i think. Wilberforce's story is truly yet another example of God's amazing ways, and his grace.

the song's composer, John Newton, was a slave trader who transported thousands of human cargo for many years. he got saved and underwent a dramatical religious conversion when his ship went through a storm. repenting all the misery he had caused, Newton became and evangelical pastor, devoting his life to the church and wrote many songs...among them Amazing Grace. Because of his preachings he influenced many people, and one of them was William Wilberforce...who was the driving force behind abolishing the slave trade. he preached until the last year of his life, even though he was blind by that time. (my summary was taken from the movie website)

with 972 arrangements, the song has appeared in over 1000 albums... it was sung in freedom marches and soldiers' hymnals, and after 200 years, we're still singing it today... amazing :)

------------
Amazing Grace
original text by John Newton

Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

-----
i posted a video of the trailer but you can also view it on the website
jose's picture c/o elain ojeda's album here

thoughts on moonrise....and thank you!

2007-08-19T09:10:00.000+08:00

ok, i have to leave in a few min for church but i just need to post this quick. wil post a more comprehensive blog maybe tomorrow or tuesday.

last night's Awards Night was a great experience for me...not because there were hundreds of people, not because it was a red-carpet event (which it wasn't), and not because there were celebrities there (i see more celebs at church! haha).

thank you Manny for going to the screening even tho you were weak and really sick that day...and even picking me up at home because i was stranded because of the rain! (and thanks for the Mongkok treat to celebrate!) thank you Gayette for watching the film even tho you had work, and staying with me during the awards night and being my "official photographer"! haha. dami kong photo requests noh? i owe you! thank you pastor paolo and ate jenn, pastor carlos and belle, and all you guys who texted me about watching it! i feel the love. (haha. is that how you say it?) and of course my mom and sisters, mike and mic... mwah. love you guys. oh, and terrence, kenneth and hans...kahit na-late kayo and didn't reach my screening, i really appreciate parin the effort noh, haha...so thank you!!! *HUGZ* you guys are the best, hahaha :) thanks zel and yuklid for going with me sa first screening, to the whole team (rizz, ej, mund!) for the support.

it was my first time to ever attend an awards night where i was actually a part of the "nominees". i felt like a winner already! ganun pala feeling. even if you don't win (which i didn't, but thanks to all who texted!), you're really just glad to be there :) galing. and if you've noticed, i've stopped promoting na my film to everyone and just really urging all to watch the film fest...ANY film. it's really an eye-opener...like one volunteer said, it's impossible to go in and watch and not learn anything. if you didn't, then you're not human. (wow.)

fyi, the top films that were nominated (and awarded) for ALL award categories were Lawa ng Bae (winner of the Grand Charlie..congrats jameel! jamel? argh..sowee can't remember) Syokoy, Sa Ngalan ng Mina and Caubian: Island under siege, so if you can't catch my film in the time slots, do try to watch any of these. short films lang naman sila, 20min or so (syokoy is an hour long)

the winners were truly deserving, the films were excellent! it must've been really hard to judge. :P

i wanted to quote jameel(jamel, jamil) on his speech when he got his award, but i can't remember the exact words. but anyway, what he said really struck me...after saying all the usual stuff about doing our part in helping the environment, making a difference in our own way etc etc...he talked about visiting schools, promoting the festival...even being rejected in some when he tried to sell tickets (wow..), but in the end he'd make a survey...he'd ask who's watched Harry Potter, or Transformers, or any of the latest films...and almost all would raise their hands. but when asked if they've seen a documentary about the philippines and our environment or culture, at any time, only a few did. and it saddened him daw...how we're all willing to spend so much for box-office hits, but not much to educate ourselves about our country. tsk. (i'm guilty of this too...sometimes i even watch a movie twice or thrice... :( )

i didn't want to sound preachy, and i'm not pointing fingers either. like i said, i'm guilty of that too. but this recent filmfest was an eye-opener for me. watching "Syokoy" the first time made me furious at what was happening in Guimaras...and i wasn't aware of it! and the most amazing thing about all of this is that film festivals like these hardly have the budget! like our church, they thrive on volunteerism, and donations and sponsors. each year, indie fests barely survive the financial burn of organizing a film festival and yet they're still at it... even those making the films have little or no budget at all, risk so much just to make it, and it's not fiction...these things are real and happening to our country.

anyway i'll stop here, haha. for just a hundred bucks, and a little of your time, you can learn so much more than you thought you could watching the news or reading the paper. and i'm not talking about boring talkies here...cinematography, art direction and musical scoring are excellent. we are artists after all :) 2 more days... catch the Moonrise Film Festival, if you can...Be moved, be educated. go! :)

-----
last words. support our indie artists...! whether in music, film, art... :) ok, ba-bye, late na ko...

countdown to moonrise...

2007-08-09T10:24:00.000+08:00

rubbing elbows on the lot...:P

last week i was invited to a "Directors' Dinner" meet for all Moonrise finalists. it was a chance for me to meet the people behind the film festival, it was their way of saying thank you for making the moonrise event possible, and also an opportunity to meet the other directors, discuss preparations and awards and maybe some questions or concerns we might have.

i rsvp-ed that i'd most definitely be there, and when the day finally came...lo! the storm (chedeng?) had hit. i was seriously thinking of not going...i mean, it was all the way over at Mordor (new manila, quezon city to be exact), i'll only be commuting from makati...who knows what horrendous traffic or flood i could face? by 5pm i was set on not going. i told myself that i dont know anyone anyway, it'll be awkward meeting strangers, and competing ones at that! the weather was bad, etc etc.

my friend ej, on a whim, suggested that maybe i can ask our friend cha who happened to live there, if i could maybe hitch a ride. even though i knew she usually OT-ed in the office (fat chance getting there in time for the dinner), i did, and yahoo! she was leaving office early! ok Lord, if you want me to go, i'll go.

i'm so glad i did :P

although not everyone was able to make it, it was a pretty good fun bunch i got to meet (and all that extra food!).

CEAE's founder Jukka (pronounced "yuka") Holopainen, was this easy-going, globe-trotting driven young filmmaker with a strong voice...straight away, as he talked about their vision for Moonrise, i could sense the enthusiasm and fervor he had for this cause which they have continuously fought for for the last 7 years. (actually, the way he talked reminded me a lot about Kawayan de Guia when i interviewed him for Aramiden...!)

the director of "Sa Ngalan ng Mina", Girlie Brilliantes, i thought was a soft-spoken woman, quiet and shy...not! as we talked about our films i found myself in awe at her daring attempt in exposing the mining programme in the ravaged areas of mindanao. she told me how, in one area, she was given just an hour to shoot (hidden) with only 30 minutes to do her interview, while on another trip, the road was so bad their truck overturned, throwing off all their equipment and crew but she managed to save her camera and tapes...and even just staying in the camps where we hear horror stories of ambush by the MILF or such... these accounts made my tiring bus trips to baguio quite pale in comparison!

Golda Mae of "Kalimed" entered the student category, and she was this smiling friendly Kalinga girl who acquired a scholarship to study in the University of Makati, and their film, sponsored by the university, relays that story. Seymour, of "Bodong (Peace Pact) and his wife happened to be alumni of UP Eng'g...small world! and Froilan Grate is a dedicated leader and ceae volunteer from Greenminds.Net, a website portal dedicated to everything about and for the philippine's mega-biodiversity.

there was nothing in the air that felt like competition at all... we were all artists with a cause...hearts bleeding for a culture, a people, a hometown... all having stories to tell. jukka was right... when it comes to films or documentaries about the environment, we have to localize it... how can students from our country have sympathy for illegal logging when they watch documentaries that show caucasian people with chainsaws, halfway across the world? or saving the egrets when we don't even have egrets? just like they said in their site,
"One of the biggest frustrations of environmental education is its slow pace and limited reach to instigate change. Often, crude imagery and intense visuals are necessary to shock audiences into more immediate forms of action."

we have all sorts of documentaries from around the world, recently the eye-opener "An Inconvenient Truth", "March of the Penguins", HBO's "Carandiru"...and hundreds of others on National Geographic or Discovery Channel...

but we think it's about time that we focus our eyes on our own backyard. Watch the Moonrise Film Festival, August 15-21, featuring more award-winning films (best of 2005 and 2006 moonrise). see the places, the riveting footage...hear the people, our language.

this is OUR country...let us tell OUR story.

baguio, 2004

2007 Moonrise Film Festival schedule of screenings

2007-08-03T10:09:00.000+08:00

just promoting the festival :) Venue is Robinsons Galleria, tickets are i think 100p for each film block.

my short, Aramiden (in red) will be shown 3 times before the awards night. all competing films will be shown on Saturday and Sunday.

see you all at Moonrise!

what's YOUR sand in your shoe?

2007-08-02T10:01:00.000+08:00

this is so true. thank you for this Lance... :) i think i needed to hear it today...

"It isn’t the mountains that wear you out. It’s the grain of sand in your shoe."

--- Author unknown

- - - - - - - -
ok, you can look at the quote above two ways...it can encourage you, or it can dishearten you.

reading it again now, it seemed as if i was sad, and daunted by things i'm about to face that could wear me out.

but i'm not sad... actually, there are so many things i should be thankful for right now. many things are happening all at once, and i guess what struck me more about this is that the quote made me think...

i should be mindful of the little things that i'm choosing to ignore, or overlook, that could very well be the very thing that would hinder me from doing great things... the sand in my shoe -- a forgotten phone call... an unspoken word... swallowing a bitter pill of truth... a person i should forgive...

- - - -

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139: 23-24

me, a goddess??? nyah. (a long blog)

2007-07-31T21:59:00.000+08:00

guess most of you have read Gayette's blog about me. thank you for the texts and messages online... i received this email from CEAE last week, and i can now officially share the good news:

July 27, 2007 Greetings from the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education! Congratulations! We wish to inform you that your film has been selected as an official entry to the 2007 Moonrise Film Festival. ....

--------

yup! my college thesis, a Baguio documentary, is a finalist in the moonrise film festival! All the hard work, sweat, tears, (transpo expenses) and prayers ...all boils down to this. God's timing is never early, never late.

here's the announcement my officemate EJ made for my company entitled "Diane Sipin is a goddess!":

---------------------------
In ancient Roman mythology, Diana is the goddess of the moon.

She protected the wild places and animals, to her was known the deep
places in Nature where one could rest and regain strength.

In (very) recent Campaigns and Grey history, Diane is the goddess of the
moon...that is, THE MOONRISE FESTIVAL! :-)

Yup, our very own Diane Sipin has conquered the 3rd Annual Moonrise Film
Fest with Aramiden, A Glimpse of the City of Pines!

The festival is a venue created to encourage filmmakers to turn their
cameras toward conservation and cultural issues. Since 2005, it has
attracted both amateur and professional film makers to create
documentaries dealing with critical national issues, the finalists of
which are honored in public screenings in selected theaters.

This year, out of almost 60 entries, Diane's college thesis made it as a
finalist!

(side note: imagine that! and she did it mostly on her own, whereas others
had full crews working with them)

The top documentaries will be shown in Robinson's Galleria starting August
13, and will culminate in an awards ceremony on the 18th. Diane's Aramiden
will have 2 screenings:

2-4 pm on August 13, Monday
6-8 pm on August 16, Thursday

To give you an idea, here's a synopsis:

What we know as the "City of Pines" has become a highly urbanized city
with the trappings of any modern-day metropolis, corrupting what once was
a dearly unique culture and environment. This film is about the locals'
continuing effort to save what is left of the glory that is Baguio.

For more info., check out this link...

http://www.ceae.org/film_moonrise2007.htm

Let's all congratulate Diane with a warm hug -- one that she usually
gives out so unselfishly herself! :-)

BRAVO, DIANE!

----------------------------------

it's finally happened...after almost 3 years, my film will be on big screen. wow. i've always wanted my film public... it IS an advocacy piece after all... but somehow it never came to pass. i don't know what's so special about 2007, but here it is. :) and talk about timing:

• 2005... one week before my thesis panel presentation, my ibook hard drive crashes. i had no backup, and i lost pretty much everything -- my film edit, captured video and digital stills. i had to start from SCRATCH, a whole month's work! somehow though, re-editing it again gave me a new perspective and the story flow came out a bit differently the second time. with help from my thesis adviser, i was able to get another schedule and graduate on time (nothing short of a miracle that time..)

• that same year, there was a call for short-documentary entries for a Channel 5 competition called "Dokyu". i did all the requirements for that, and submitted my tapes, even cut down my 12-minute film to 8-minutes (boy was THAT hard),submitted the paperwork needed, etc etc. first prize for that was P10,000, plus a showing on channel 5. after 3 months waiting for results, i finally called the station...it turns out, due to some problems (financial and whatever else) they cancelled the contest and the show went on hiatus. i was SO bummed! and mad. i felt it was a waste. buti nalang pala hindi natuloy... that would've disqualified me for Moonrise because you can't have an entry that was previously submitted elsewhere. i believe God wanted what was best... He didn't want me to settle for TV only, hehe

• 2005... the year i finished my film was also the same year that Moonrise Filmfest started. Everyone urged me to join. syempre excited din ako, but call for entries wasn't until July...i got accepted in Campaigns and Grey the month before that and somehow i plain forgot. a week AFTER the deadline my friend called and asked if i entered. AUGH! i missed the deadline! that year, they chose 10 (or 13?) finalists from only 16 that joined. nainis ako. i figured i would've had a better chance of winning back then.

• 2006... sabi ko, eto na. i'll join na. february palang, excited na ako. months passed and... i FORGOT AGAIN! waaaaah. 'lam nyo naman ako, forgetful diba, but 2 years in a row? i wanted to kick myself! anubah! i remember pa nga when i finally thought about it and called up CEAE, the deadline had JUST passed. AUGH! i remember trying to convince the organizer for me to submit anyways, but they were strict. owel.

• and... like salt in an open wound, Campaigns and Grey was hired to do the ad campaign for the festival.. *sniff* not only that, i was the one assigned to do the 2 minute trailer for the finalists. waaaah. so of course, i had to watch the 16 final films. wow , ang gaganda. i remember secretly being relieved that i didn't join anymore, because it would've been a waste of entry fee. grabe! some of the films were full production! i was so intimidated, and i even felt ashamed to even think i can try going up against these great film-makers. *sigh*

• 2007 - i pretty much forgot about Moonrise. i even made my thesis into dvd-copies as Christmas gifts to my bosses. Pinamigay ko na... at least who knows, mejo ma-publicize sya konti...giving it away to some friends. kawawa nga ako, ang dami ko pang copies at home. (haha). But i guess, just like Joseph, waiting in his prison for 2 whole years just because the cupbearer PLAIN FORGOT about him and his request... God had bigger plans.

sometime last month, while OT-ing at work, i suddenly thought about Moonrise. so i looked it up online and...waaaaah! the deadline was one week away! should i join? i figured, nothing to lose (except the 2000-peso entry fee haha ).

now, im so excited! i dont care if i win...at least my dream of Aramiden showing on bigscreen is coming true! and who knows, maybe even in the US next year!

to all those who helped me throughout... my family, cousin larry who helped me during my frequent stays in Baguio, my friends in fine arts (ay, teka...speech na, wala pa nga yung award eh...)... and of course ms. may (now mrs. may papa), for all your advice, support and seeing my film through to the end!
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ... 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain... 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.

-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

1 year in the making, 3 years in the waiting. (P100,000 for the taking? hahaha!)

12 minutes onscreen.

pls pray for me :)

----------------------------------
p.s.
why baguio, you ask? well, haven't i mentioned...? i grew up there :P

for more pics, check out:
Baguio Sept 2004
Baguio pics

more than meets the eye :)

2007-07-23T07:03:00.000+08:00

hehee...i'm gona plug this for KC... you guys would've loved to have been there to see this!

Kids Church used Transformers theme for the AWESOME skit for Every Nation 2007 Sunday service. we were in Gateway Cinema 3...and can i just say they sure made an impact on the kids (and teachers)! nagphoto-ops pa with the kids, parents, and of course the KC team for almost an hour after! hehe. wawa si Tim, Carlos, Benj, Edroy, Sherwin (happy birthday!) and Norvic...they must have sweated buckets.

amazing planning, designing and executing by KC's own alfred, wood and reb, plus sleepless nights painting, constructing and assembling by their team of KC teachers...if any of you are connected to them here in multiply i'm sure you've read lots of blogs or seen albums of the behind-the-scenes by now (for example, gayette's "Buzzy with Bumblebee")

Lel Jingco of team2 did a great job doing Prime's lines backstage on the mic with his booming bass voice...and Bumblebee was, of course, the favorite, esp when he went out with the other robots to dance (yes the robots danced) to praise songs with the kids! and despite the sleepless nights and meticulous planning by all the teachers involved, KC was still high on the energy level scale...way way way over! the praise dancing, the games, Pastor Pao's excellent preaching, kids moved to tears during worship... of course, security and classroom management was tight, reg and admin was all in order and...tacos for everyone! (wala lang...haha)

and the kids...of course the kids were simply amazing...seeing them on fire for God, dancing their hearts out, singing and crying to worship, laughing and interacting during the skit and games...we had our own little foreign delegates from all over the world there too!

i saw this picture on ram's album and my heart made a big *twang* seeing the group...i was so proud being a part of this amazing day. big thanks also to the heads of basically organizing everything (i dunno if they have official titles haha)...ms weena and jerry (not in pic) ,necy, mike p. and jorge :)

and of course, i'll never forget the part where me, p. pao, the teachers and basically the WHOLE theater kept roaring with laughter during the skit watching Optimus Prime bug Megatron for...what else? One 2 One.. hahahahaha! :P

hay. ang haba na pala. anyway, this'll be a topic of conversation among KC (and beyond) for weeks to come so i'll stop here. :) and my title...well, KC is more than meets the eye (ay, corny ba haha)...sure we have fun games, creative skits, great props and good-looking teachers but...underneath all that is the heart to serve and worship God, to raise the world-changers of TODAY and to advance His kingdom and reveal His glory to the ends of the earth!

Whatever it takes! :)

-------------
pics courtesy of Ram, Jomi and Alfred. check them out :) (im sure there are tons others here on multiply!)
Transformers at Kids Church
Every Nation 07 World Conference
KC Every Nation 07 July 22

video link:
fanning the flames of christianity :P
bugging "Meggie"

the wonder of editing

2007-06-12T09:02:00.000+08:00

one would not realize the power of correct trailer-cutting... :P

check these out:

Scary Mary

The Shining - Recut <-- hahaha, kainis talaga 'to

Sound of Music <--- eeek!

The Ring - Recut <--- *sob sniff*

har har har

2007-06-08T07:58:00.000+08:00

I got tagged too... by Elain!

alright..., i don't normally do these things coz it takes me forever...i have a "100 facts tag" thing on my old blog that i'm STILL not done with (i started it in 2005...bwahahaha) buti nalang 7 lang 'to...

so... sorry if it's spam to you, but elain is a sweetie pie and i miss her, so there. this is for you dear!

============================

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits 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!

1. i love to eat raisins and cheese, together, as a snack. :P

2. ...also microwaved garlic (of course, only when i'm home and sure of not seeing anyone that day...) and eating calamansi, peeling them like tiny oranges. :P

3. i don't like waking up early, but i wake up 5 or 6am everyday, like clockwork, without any alarm. (hay. when there's no need to, i just go back to sleep

4. i once was a fishball/kikiam vendor. with cart, sago't gulaman drink and all. (with hotdog pa!) no kidding! ask me about it

5. i can play the accordion, a bit. (haha...any chance using that in the music team?)

6. i can't say sinangag right. at least not the first time around. :P

7. i sleep talk/walk...when i'm half asleep (or it's past 3am). then i don't remember a thing.

------------------------------

hm...i don't know who'd answer, but for the spirit of the game, i tag

EJ - *evil laugh*
Jewel - miss you!
Lester - coz he's my favorite AE
Lance - see if he answers this
Gayette - are there stuff pa that i might not know?
Gabe Gabriel - the muffinman who makes me laugh
and Chiko! - freaky friend!

best friends and new hair

2007-04-04T19:56:00.000+08:00

hm...couldn't think of a title yet, and this'll be short.

my best best best bestest friend in the whole wide world is moving to Canada... CANADA!

we've been friends for almost a decade now. that's almost half my life. my emotions of late have been up and down... one time i called her at 7 in the morning in tears. hay. i posted a song, and it was for her (For Good). waaah.

*sniff* ok...to be continued nalang to.

ptr. robert mentioned in his blog entry that summer time is usually also the time for new hair...and i agree... ANG INIT!!! i'm taking a survey...i want to chop my hair off, just like how it used to be in my pictures here. oh...that's Jewel by the way. my best best best bestest friend

having a heart for hannah ü

2007-03-27T19:59:00.000+08:00

For those who've seen my office station, you might be wondering who that cute little baby is posted all over my Mac. Her name is Hannah Emmanuelle Antonio, and she is the daughter of my friend and our church pastor, Carlos Antonio. She is diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries, and what's keeping her alive now is, surprisingly, a hole in her heart.

We are all believing for a miracle, and we know that what God will do for Hannah will be far greater than anything we can ever pray for, however in our own way this is how we can help their family as they hold on to their faith for their baby... by helping to raise funds through a dinner, auction plus entertainment by my friends DJ Chip de la Calzada & DJ Benjo Marquez (heart of soul).

Only a year ago, DJ Benjo Marquez was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and what we witnessed was nothing short of a miracle when he faced this full of strength and courage with God's grace, continuing to inspire and encourage others despite his sickness. And now God has healed him! And he is fighting again, this time for Baby Hannah, and we're all proud to stand by him and our spiritual family for this cause.

The Fundraising event is on March 31, 2007 at Wasabi Resto & Bar (Ayala Ave right beside Peninsula Manila), at 7:30pm. Everyone is invited! Proceeds of the dinner tickets and the auction will all go to Hannah's medical treatment.

For tickets contact me or any of my friends Rina, Laica, & Benjo Marquez, Mari, OJ, Gayette Tipton, Cristalle Henares, Anson Yu, Catrice & Chip dela Calzada, and Stuart Yang (and so many others, haha, can't remember na). You can also help by donating money or any items/gift certificates for the auction. Spread the word!

Thanks so much and God bless!

to know more about Hannah and her family, drop by her dad and mom's site, http://caloybert.multiply.com/ and http://bantonio.multiply.com/ ü

watching 300...(and woes of an art director)

2007-03-09T08:22:00.000+08:00

ay. where do i begin. o_O oh yeah... jj, camille, rich... my sincere apologies!!! hahaha. normally i'm a pretty quiet movie-watcher... except for the occasional comment or two, you wouldn't hear a peep out of me. but last night...last night was something else. so, do pardon all the squirming and the jumping, and audible "oohs" and "aahs" and "AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHS". i must've found 10 different chair positions you could possibly be in inside a theater. sorry sorry sorry...we're still movie buddies right...??!??

ANYway, the movie was awesome. bloody gross in most parts, but awesome.

some review, huh. i'm not much of a movie critic, so i won't go into detail about the plot twists (like there are any), acting ability and character favorites, but i will say this... the movie was so amazingly and wonderfully art directed. beautiful production design and breathtaking art direction.

(again...sorry for my audible oohs and aaaahs)

not a hair, stone or glowing ember out of place. every single element carefully composed and thought out for each shot...never mind that it was all done on chroma. the composition of every body, every object against negative space, how everything balanced out not just in visual weight but in colors and light... gaaaaaaaaaah.

ok... to put it simply... you can pretty much freeze-frame any second of the film and have great-looking desktop wallpaper for your computer. hahahahaha. (other movies that made me feel this way were House of Flying Daggers, Hero and V for Vendetta)

as an art director, i'm always challenged to come up with great looking art work "limited" in print ads and commercials. the reason i say limited is because we're not talking about personal art where you decide on what's beautiful and what's not. artwork that's YOURS where you dictate your own style. it's limited because we have to be creative and artistic in presenting what would otherwise be something so mundane and oftentimes tiresome... like selling shampoo or cars. when we're lucky, we get to work on social issues and advocacy like saving the environment or crime awareness.

but see, that's where it gets exciting... we pretty much have about 5 seconds before our reader flips the magazine page or a viewer changes the channel, and in that five seconds we MUST drive our message through... in five seconds we've captured your full attention, keeping you focused on what we want to say and what we want you to see. how? great art direction. short, to-the-point copy. in some rare cases, extremely long copy, art-directed in its own way. if we compose a shot of a wall, and the wall has a crack...that crack had better had a purpose there. why is the crack there? where should it be placed? how long should the crack be? who put that crack there anyway?!?!

hay.

there are a LOT of ads like that out there. some great examples, and recent additions to the ad world, would be Disney's fantasy series featuring the work of acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz, starring no less than David Beckham (Prince Phillip), Scarlett Johannson (Cinderella), Beyonce Knowles, Lyle Lovette (March Hare) and Oliver Platt (Mad Hatter)...

and...

a wonderfully art-directed commercial (yup commercial lang to)...

Golden Sun - Culture Advanced
Uploaded by YforYerom

double hay. i have a looooong way to go. i have my hits and misses... everyday, you just have to keep learning and absorbing and being creatively alert. and occasionally, a whack on the side of the head. (tune in for the next blog entry on that term hahaha)

where was i? oh yeah. 300. the first battle scene pretty much left me weak-kneed and my blood drained from my healthy shiny hair roots to my toes (ay). the warriors were...well, WARRIORS. in all their blood, sweat and glory...and abs. galing pa ng choreography in such a way that it doesn't LOOK choreographed. and the camera-work. and tasteful use of slow-motion. imagine Brad Pitt's Achilles in Troy... 100 times better and multiplied by 300. O_o

and it wasn't just the war scenes that were beautiful of course... the training of the young boys, Queen Gorgo's speech to the council, the summoning of the oracle...

guess you have to watch and see for yourselves nalang.

chiko...really really wish you could've been there. you get well soon. as in NOW. *hugz*

guys...next movie?

*300 images courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

cupcakes anyone?

2007-02-24T02:01:00.000+08:00

the other night i asked Chiko to accompany me on my "last free day" as a social person (as i was expecting a lot of work that week). we binged on NY fries... ok, I binged on NY fries (Extra Large Grande size with extra garlic parmesan dip, if you please) with large lemonade at Market! Market! then we skipped over to Serendra for some cupcakes at Sonja's and...i was hooked! not with their cupcakes, although they were yummy. rather with the idea of cupcakes. it's so...uh...gloriumptious. hahaha.

:: for those who need to know...cupcakes are tiny cakes, therefore a dessert...while muffins aren't, therefore they are eaten at breakfast.

anyhoo...i'm on a cupcake rampage, so i went blog-hopping and look where my mouse took me! enjoy!

My kind of flowers
Baking is in the genes
Cupcakes for a birthday girl and an anxious mom
Cupcakes by Sonja

on foreign sites:

52cupcakes
Cupcake blog

Cupcake Workshop!

:: in pic... our cupcakes and nanos!

2007-02-14T09:33:00.000+08:00

Ah, the day of hearts! Just want to greet everyone a Happy Valentines day. I thank God for blessing me with your love and friendship. ü let's not forget to greet Him as well, the One who blesses us, romances us, and loves us more than any bouquet of flowers or box of chocolates can ever express! ü

*hugz*

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
~ 1 John 4:11-12

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
~ John 3:16

*in pic: heart-shaped tikoy! ü

"If men have compartments, women have tote bags..."

2007-02-12T12:32:00.000+08:00

For you men out there who are not familiar with tote bags, a tote bag is a large "carry-all" bag similar to but just a tad smaller than a sports duffel bag. The whole point of a tote bag is you throw everything in it that you could ever possibly need and bring it with you wherever you go.

I have always wondered how men survive without carrying bags around (what do you do if your lips are chapped? what if you need a mint? where do you put your checkbook?) Women are always prepared. I am always amazed at women who can open their bag and produce snacks, books, an entire makeup kit, hairspray, and even flip-flops! (you know who you are...!)

Even more interesting, though, is that the compartment-tote bag dichotomy extends into our brains as well.

Link

a delightful entry by my friend and church-mate, lynn nawata hehehe! ^_^

when i grow up i want to be...

2007-02-09T18:28:00.000+08:00

i'm bored. bored bored bored. in the middle of a chat conversation with neil the q, a thought entered my mind... my gosh, i'm an art director. but i'm bored right now. help. haha...then i tried to recall what were the professions i wanted to be in growing up... hmmm

:: a concert pianist
first one that came to mind. i would dream of being onstage, applauded by thousands of people, as i finished one of the most difficult pieces known to man - at the time, i think it was The Beautiful Blue Danube, Grade III

:: a comic strip artist
i love comics... it's such a unique form of art that is not just visually entertaining but also exposes human traits and culture or character. my favorites (and the only ones that really make me laugh out loud, or tug my heartstrings) are garfield, pugad baboy, gary larson's the far side, and calvin & hobbes. i actually invented quite a few characters, complete with biography and whatnot. one even resembled a cute spherical blob with arms and legs and not much else, who went around in a car made of popsicle sticks and peppermint candy. some of them actually progressed to a few storylines here and there, but i guess this phase of my life never quite caught on

:: a comic book artist
i totally idolize comic book artists, and my favorites were of course the great Jim Lee and J Scott Campbell. my cousin mike and i would spend hours drawing, mostly copying his collection of DC, Marvel and Image comic books and trading cards. we eventually came up with our own team of super heroes... 6 in all, he drew the guys, i took care of the girls... and would make up fantastical stories that usually involved my heroine having to be saved by one of his characters. harumph!

:: a figure skater
well, there goes THAT dream. haha. i did take a few lessons back in college, and i guess it's like riding a bike...you won't ever forget once you learn how to. owel. this came around the time i was staying in LA and my cousins and i were totally mesmerized by the Winter Olympics. go oksana!

:: a cook
i loved to read. it was my favorite pastime, and sometimes this would annoy my cousin (yes, mike) immensely, when i'd rather spend vacation time reading instead of playing...or rather watching him play...nintendo, go biking or build with tinkertoys. and some of the books i loved to browse through were cookbooks. i would go through my lola's cookbooks and baking books as if they Grimm's fairy tales, reading each step in detail and gazing at the photographs or illustrations. funny, i still don't know exactly how to, and i even love to watch cooking shows on tv and all. i think i'll have to learn eventually. neil would say.. "paano na when you're married?" hm... instant noodles for dinner, honey?

:: a singer for Disney's animated films
hahaha... specific ba? i have serious stage fright kasi... but i loved Disney songs and would belt out songs from the little mermaid, aladdin, and all the old classics. so i would dream of being chosen by Disney scouts to voice one of their lovely characters, and i'd have a lovely solo or a romantic duet...safely behind-the-scenes in a recording booth

more to come... i gotta go attend small group now :P

* cute photo from Getty Images

scattered thoughts

2007-02-01T21:57:00.000+08:00

it's 9pm and my work for the day is pretty much done... much more tomorrow of course, but for now, i can't keep still. my mind's been on "turbo mode" since last week, and lately it's been quite taxing just to keep up with it. so if you catch me in a dazed or zoned-out mode, that's probably just me trying to get my brain to settle, or i'm having a meeting with myself. hahaha. sometimes the opposite would happen, that i have so much stuff inside my head, i end up just being bored coz i don't know where to begin. does that make sense?

lately, i'd have chats with a few online friends that kinda go like this...

yahoo friend: ei diane! (or poink, or yanee, depending on who it is) poink123: hey! :) yahoo friend: how are you? poink123: good good. you? yahoo friend: blah blah blah blah (here, a bit of chatter...again, depending on who it is) yahoo friend: so what have you been up to lately? anything new? poink123: nothing new...work, as usual :P hehe

...

*cricket cricket*

*sigh* there's a LOT of things new, actually. i guess it's just that i'd rather tell my story in person, over lunch or coffee... than tire myself out typing out everything that's been happening in my life, only to be interrupted by, wait brb, or ei gtg, til next time! bitin! o_O

tapos may hirit pa yung iba na "so, you have a boyfriend na ba?", like that's really all the update they need.

the people i do chat with online are usually those i already see everyday...sometimes my officemate across the room haha, because i don't need any "updating" for them. i do bug them whenever i can though.

so what HAS been keeping me busy? what's keeping my mind on hyper mode...thus making me even more absent-minded than usual? (to manny, who doesn't read blogs... i know my attention span of late is like that of a 3-year-old...sorreeeee!)

a lot!!! tapos sabay sabay pa! yaaaagh.

at home:
when typhoon milenyo hit, the windows in my room flew off, leaving it in a disastrous, muddy mess. but now, finally, renovations are underway, but lo! my mom and my lola decided not just to repair our windows but do a major overhaul on the house.. painting the walls, replacing the windows, re-cementing the garage. gaaaaaaah. lately we come home to the smell of fresh paint or sawdust, plus my sleeping habit's a bit off-kilter now that the living room sofa has been my bed the past, oh, 4 weeks or so. waaaaah. so anyway, since everything's being turned up, down and inside out here, it's added stress that i have to figure out where to put all the knick-knacks, photo albums, old "toys" and whatnots i've been ignoring since i started working...

work:
pitch, pitch, pitch. that is the word for the month. well, that and REVISIONS. hahaha. but don't get me wrong...work is still fun. i still love it here... yes, despite the overtime, (overnights!). nothing like brainstorming on skin-whitening lotion to really get the adrenaline going. *snicker* but for sure i know i'm still in the right place, with the right people. there IS one thing that does bother me though... it's SO COLD!!! huhuhuhu. it's like working in a refrigerator everyday. i have pics to prove it...with hats, gloves and even wraparound blankies we all look like we're tourists in Siberia or something. our recent Manila weather isn't helping either, brrrrrrrr. lamigin pa naman ako. *sniff*

[edit]
did i mention that it's Philippine Advertising Congress year? yup...so top of mind at work right now is metals! we need award-winning ideas! i feel the pressure now...o_O

church:
ay, where do i begin? hahahaha. basta madami! those on my multiply list are 80% from church anyway, so you know what i'm talking about, hehe. my schedule in the music ministry has been a bit more hectic of late, what with events happening and the kids musical just finishing last december. but it's actually what's been giving me my "break" between work. for KC naman...boy, i have my hands full now with the music team... changes are underway, you guys better keep your eyes and ears open, hehe! please pray all goes well :) (more on that in another entry siguro...er, soon)

and lastly, small group. barely a year ago, i attended my first small group meeting under Randee, and i can still recall how nervous i was to be with new people...opening up like that about God and family and church with strangers, who later on became invaluable friends of mine who'd guide me in my own journey with God. some of them have moved on with new groups, the others still there, every week ever faithful. i've been co-leading the last few months and now...NOW i'm leading my own small group, and it's inspiring to see the look of their earnest faces when we meet, seeing them eager to share their stories and insights on our discussions and excited to know more about God.

between the KC music team changes, helping to train and serving in Music Ministry, plus work, i know i'm up for a rather turbulent time ahead, but i know He's just there guiding me every step of the way. so what do i answer na when someone asks me "what's up?"

ayayay. O_O

7 days!

2007-01-05T01:54:00.000+08:00

yesterday i got a text from roe manalo asking if i could drop by ENLI
and give my testimony on video on why i'm excited to join the annual
7-day prayer and fasting this year. i told her it was going to be my
first time, and asked if that was ok and she replied "Yup. Just why ur excited to fast if you are ü caloy said you are daw e."

i knew it! calooooooy. hahaha... sabi na nga ba ikaw eh.
last sunday kasi i think he heard me squealing (yes, squealing) my
excitement about it, especially after i saw the booklet "The Armor of
God", a guide to our 7-day prayer and fasting.

of course, thanks to makati traffic i arrived just in time to sing with
teri and attend the prayer meeting, so we had to do the video after
that.
JA did the interview, and i actually can't remember what i said
anymore, except i couldn't contain what i had to say "in just one
sentence". veej...have you EVER heard me say anything in just one
sentence? bleh... .

i'm excited to fast! i've been a Christian for just over a year now...i
didn't join the 7-day fasting last year because i felt i wasn't ready
to do it. i wanted to fully understand first why we were fasting, and i
wanted my whole heart and soul and mind to be ready, and i guess at
that time i wasn't bursting with excitement like i am now... i was
still in questioning...in doubt. but now, i can't wait. the last time i
felt this excited was...um, hm. i can't remember...pero matagal na.
hahaha.

JA kept asking me to explain the feeling... how can you explain
something like that? it was difficult to say "i'm excited about not
eating"... and that's when i realized that it's not what fasting is
about. it wasn't about NOT eating. it wasn't about skipping meals. i
don't feel like i'm "skipping" anything. it's not a diet, nor is it
being deprived on anything. deprivation is dispossession, a withdrawal
and is associated with damage. how can you be damaged by focusing on
God? impossible!

Pastor Joey said it perfectly last Sunday... you're so focused on God
you forget about everything else. it's being in love with HIM.

i told JA that when i'm with the music team, sometimes we do forget
about eating because we're so focused on perfecting the music, making
worship excellent and getting everything right that our lunchtime would
be at 4pm. or we're eating but our mind is still on the music or the
lyrics. when i was teaching in kids church, sometimes we wouldn't eat
until the end of the day, not because we were skipping meals but
because we're so focused on the children we actually forget to eat.
we're so busy preparing for the roles we were assigned that day, so
busy teaching them about God and learning from them that food is just
an after thought. then at the end of a busy day at KC Sunday or a full
day of being with the music team, i don't feel deprived... in fact,
it's the complete opposite. physically tired but spiritually full...
i'm more satisfied than i would be any other day of the week, and we
continue to be amazed at how God sustains us with a different kind of
strength, something we don't get out of food or any other material
thing from this earth. it's a swelling, soaring awesome sort of
feeling, and that was just one day...imagine seven days of THAT! no
kind of ulam, favorite dessert or eat-all-you-can buffet will ever
match the gifts God has given us.

so here's to a week of humbling ourselves before God... of focusing on
Him that we forget everything else. we don't need food to appreciate
life, because HE is at the center of it. HE will sustain us and we will
delight in Him.

cheers! ^_^

1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

- Psalm 63:1-5

Is your mind flabby?

2006-10-18T20:22:00.000+08:00

something i picked up from Leadership Wired

-------------------------------

AVOIDING 'MENTAL FLABBINESS' By Dr. John C. Maxwell

I have a designated "thinking chair" in my office.

I don't sit in it when someone drops by to talk. I don't take
power naps in it. I use it only for thinking.

This chair doesn't think for me, but it does speak to me every
now and then. If I've gone a few days without sitting in it, its
presence subtly reminds me that I'm not devoting enough time to
the all-important task of thinking.

When we fail to make thinking a priority, we develop what author
Gordon MacDonald calls "mental flabbiness." This may not sound
like a life-threatening condition, but some ways, it can be quite
dangerous. Here's how MacDonald explains it:

"In our pressurized society, people who are out of shape mentally usually fall victim to ideas and systems that are destructive to the human spirit and to the human relationship," he writes. "They are victimized because they have not taught themselves how to think, nor have they set themselves to the lifelong pursuit of growth of the mind. Not having the faculty of a strong mind, they grow dependent upon the thoughts and opinions of others. Rather than deal with ideas and issues, they reduce themselves to lives full of rules, regulations, and programs."

You can't be an effective leader with a mindset like thatit's
just not possible.

Fortunately, there is an antidote to mental flabbiness: making time to think. I realize this can be a daunting assignment for
people whose schedules are already bursting at the seams. And
yet, when we don't make thinking a priority, we're actually
sabotaging our own creativity and success.

Think about it. One of the highest commodities in a person's life
is a great idea. A great idea has transforming power. It can take
you places you may never have dreamed of going. But great ideas
don't come out of nowhere. They begin as thoughts. So it stands
to reason that the more time we spend thinking, the more great ideas we'll have.

The good news is that it doesn't take hours of thinking each day
to generate ideas and stay in good mental shape. You can
accomplish a great deal in a few moments of concentrated,
intentional thought.

Let me give you two examples of how this works in my life. Every
morning, I devote three minutes to what I call "big-picture thinking." I look at my schedule for the day and ask myself one
simple question: What's the main event? Of all the things I'm going to do, of all the people I'm going to see, of all the experiences that I'm going to encounter, what's the main event?

You can't prioritize your day if you don't see everything in your
day. That's why I practice big-picture thinking in the morning. I
have to pick out my main event early, because whatever it is,
that's where I had better be at my best. I'm human, and I don't
always hit the ball out of the park. Sometimes I don't hit the
ball at all. But at the main event, I had better hit a homerun.
Big-picture thinking helps me achieve that goal.

At the end of the day, I spend another five to 10 minutes doing
what I refer to as "reflective thinking". I go to my thinking
chair and spend time reviewing my whole day. I ask myself
questions such as, "Who did I see today? How did I add value to those people? What lessons did I learn?" Reflective thinking
doesn't take long, but it's an incredibly valuable exercise
because it turns experience into insight.

Can you imagine what would happen in your life if you practiced
big-picture and reflective thinking? You would stop wasting time
on things that don't really matter, which would give you more
energy for the really important activities. You would be more
organized and efficient. You would experience less stress. Most
importantly, you would also take more away from each day that
would enable you to lead better the next day.

The best way to start this process is to designate a specific place to think. It doesn't matter if your "thinking chair" is in
your den at home or your office at work. It just has to be a spot
where you can do nothing but think for a few moments twice a day.

The bottom line is this: If you find a place to think your thoughts, you'll have more thoughts. If you find a place to shape your thoughts, you will have better thoughts. And if you find a place to stretch your thoughts, you will have bigger thoughts.

All this, from just three minutes in the morning and five to ten
minutes at night. As you can see, the results far outweigh the
time investment.

the great blondin

2006-08-03T09:47:00.001+08:00

last night i attended a wake for my friend sherwin's grandfather, victorino pajarillo. as i listened to friends and family talk about this great man that they were blessed to have in their lives, i kept remembering how, years ago, i attended my own brother's wake. butch passed away when we were kids, and although he did not have a full life like sherwin's granddad, we celebrated his life in the same way, how he was a great blessing to us even though he came just for a short while.

pastor pao gave a sermon last night... it was such an amazing and powerful message, and i couldn't stop my tears from falling as i listened to his words...

Life is SHORT... whether we live to 3 or 89 years, it will always seem too short. how time flies when we're caught up in matters of "importance". i guess every birthday, every Christmas...or even every time someone dies we wonder, where did time go? and even though there will also be days that seem to last forever, life is barely a blink compared to eternity...(Hebrews 13:14) DEATH is sure... death is an appointment we all have...no one escapes death. but we must remember that even though life is short, and death is sure... God is GOOD.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:4-6

as pastor paolo closed his sermon, he told us the story of the amazing Charles Blondin. Blondin, born Jean Francois Gravelet, was a french tight-rope walker and an acrobat who lived in the late 19th century. he was famous for his feats of walking across the niagara falls on a tight-rope. each time he crossed, a distance of over 1100 feet long above the falls, he would ask the audience if they believed he could do it...and they would always reply with an enthusiastic "Yes!" "We believe in you!" "You're the Great Blondin!". and he would cross with ease, and even back again. when he asked if they believed he could cross the falls with a man on his back, they replied the same way. BUT when he asked who would volunteer to be that person on his back... do you think they replied as enthusiastically? they were silent, or probably tried to volunteer each other. they were hesitant.

we are just like those people. we pray to God fervently asking him for miracles, we are passionate and wholehearted when we sing praises and when we worship Him... "Yes! You are good!" "You are the great Father" "Amazing God! You can do anything!". but when we are put on the spot to give up everything to Him... to put our trust in Him and to lay our lives before Him just as a person would ride on Blondin's back across the Niagara...we are hesitant. we are scared.

if we believe in God who is great and can do amazing things with our lives, then we should wholeheartedly give that to Him. how much easier life would be if we let Him carry us across...!

2006-08-02T09:49:00.000+08:00

an email i got at work today :) took the liberty of adding the passages (from NIV)
---------------------------

Five Reasons Why God Uses Problems

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways."
Proverbs 20:30
³⁰ Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience."
James 1:2-3
²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned.
Sometimes we only learn the value of something...health, money, a relationship... by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."
Psalm 119:71-72
⁷¹ It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

⁷² The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..."
Genesis 50:20
²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."
Romans 5:3-4
³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Here's the point:
God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it.
But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

"Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way"

LIFE IS AN ECHO. What you send out, you get back. What you give, you receive.

WHEN YOU BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS, YOU BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOURSELF

:)

2006-07-18T21:18:00.000+08:00

last leg of Remission... spread the word, people! :)

Why join...?!?

2006-07-17T20:11:00.000+08:00

Join the Quest

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word
and call it Pluralism.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and porn and called
it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and
called it enlightenment.

Everythings messed up.. And no ones taking a stand.. How Annoying!!

- Jose Villanueva

Join the Quest

2006-07-14T16:27:00.000+08:00

Dont wait for change coz it will never come

Dont sit back and watch things be done

Coz Deep inside we're all longing for something

But if you do nothing then you'll get nothing

Dont be lazy, Stop complaining

Stop debating, This nations ailing

We dont need a new President, we need a new heart

We need to change our mindsets, Lets go back from the start

Throw away our pride, Begin to listen

understand our needs, stop the dissin

Another edsa revolution will lead to nothing

Chaos is not the sulotion for our nations suffering

United we stand,Divided we fall

The second statement is exactly whats happening to us all

Take your stand, Do whats right, play your part, Live your role

Thats when you will begin to see transformation unfold

The little that you do will matter when we're all grown

Coz the next generation will reap what we've sown

Every individual is crucial for a better Philippines

And we will once again be the pearl of the orient seas

Coz the Philippines is not Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao

Not the islands or the infastructure we have now

Not the three stars and a sun, the red, white and blue

Coz The Philippines is Alive... Its living in YOU!

- Jose Villanueva

All hail King Benjo!

2006-06-21T19:10:00.000+08:00

he was my brother peter, and he called me sister lucy (he still does!). since then i felt like it was more than just a role in a kids church skit... when i first met him at cat's house for friday's small group meetings i felt drawn to this charming, funny, energetic guy. he had a big smile and an even bigger laugh, always ready with a funny hirit or two. everytime i see him i can't help but give him a hug.

recently, we learned he's been diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy...he gave us a visit one time, just to say hi and to let us know about his condition. at first i felt tears in my eyes as he described in detail how he felt, his doctor appointments and their plans at first to go to the States but deciding to have treatment done here instead. but as he talked, i felt he was as strong as ever, and i felt a bit guilty for feeling sad. he still had his big smile on and it wasn't fake...he wasn't just being brave for us...he genuinely believed that this is God's answer to his prayer for spiritual growth. he said this was his chance to grow closer to God, to walk the path He meant for his life, to perhaps be able to finally fulfill his destiny. as he sat there and talked about his great trial, i felt his passion for life even more. my heart felt lighter, and i found myself wearing a smile almost as big as his...it was as if his excitement was catching. physically, he looked like he needed rest, but his eyes still shone with the same passionate energy and his voice was powerful and resounded through the room.

benjo's faith in God keeps him strong and he is an inspiration to so many people, and i think his good friend lance said it best in his entry...

"what makes Benjo an astonishing person is that he chooses to be defiant in the very face of despair."

just like a true king, don't you think? i can't wait to see him again, to hear him call me Lu and then give him a big big hug.

--------------------------------------

for schedule on gigs for his fundraising, check out "Remission Is Possible"

other multiply entries about our dear DJ Benjo:
Hail the Lizard Kings
Benjo the Brave
Benjo Marquez Fundraiser Updates #2 Pls Read!

"Remission Is Possible" - fundraiser for Benjo Marquez

2006-06-21T18:07:00.000+08:00

June 21 Wed at LUCE BAR (Jupiter St. near Fiamma and where Starbucks is)"Keep Spinning" for Benjo c/o the Luce partners
June 22 Thurs and June 29 Thurs at 6 Underground , "Smashing Hodgkins: The Benjo Marquez Project" c/o Jericho Fernando BANDS playing are: Cultured Milk, Mute Madness, Kjwan and Happy Meals Tickets at Php500
July 6: Watch the World Cup Semi-Finals Night at Fiamma (Jupiter St) Tickets are Php300 with a free drink or two =)
July 13 at Capones 9pm "REMISSION IS POSSIBLE" with Rivermaya, Urban Dub, Sandwich, Bitter Pill, Ciudad etc..
July 20 at Embassy "REMISSION IS POSSIBLE" with DJ's Marie Garcia, Erwin Edralin, Owens Sun, Manolet Dario, Chuppy Cedran, Roman Mojica, Cao Ocampo, Mars Miranda, Raji Mata (all star DJ cast!!) Open bar 9-11pm!!

Aug 12: Casino Filipino: Poker Night c/o Rose Montenegro
July or Aug: "REMISSION IS POSSIBLE" DINNER EVENT (tentative)

hope to see you there :)

other multiply entries about our dear DJ Benjo:
Hail the Lizard Kings
Benjo the Brave
Benjo Marquez Fundraiser Updates #2 Pls Read!

no limbs, no limits - no worries

2006-05-19T09:27:00.000+08:00

Nick Vujicic is a young man, 22 years of age, a resident of suburban Brisbane, Queensland. Nick has a positive approach to life, is outgoing and friendly, with a happy, cheerful personality. He has a smile that makes anyone feel comforted and at ease. But life hasn’t been easy for him.

His parents, both lifelong Christians, had eagerly anticipated the birth of Nick, their first child. But when he arrived, all his mother could say was, “Please, take him away!”

Nick, although generally healthy, had neither arms nor legs.

continued at No Limbs, No Limits

-------------
I think God is trying to speak to me this last week. First, a good friend of mine at the office texted me about his favorite cat who died. He's been really depressed, and i consoled him the best I could, but i know the feeling of questioning God...why? Then Jose made an entry on his blog about just worshipping God for what He is, and not for what he gives us. It's good to be thankful for our blessings, we should always be grateful for that...but we shouldn't miss the point of glorifying Him because He is great.

And then just this morning I read an email from the brother of my best (best best best) friend Jewel, about Nick Vujicic.

Nick is a motivational speaker with a heart for young people...his concern especially on the high suicidal rate among teenagers. But through him, a lot of lives were changed, people were inspired, and he continues to inspire today. (Actually there was a short article about him in Inquirer the other week, in the metro section). His disability makes it hard to do the simplest everyday things, but he's done far greater achievements for a young man in his twenties. I myself have a disability, but sometimes it is difficult to look past that and just be thankful.

Thank you Lord, for this little reminder.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
- James 1:2-3

-------------------------------
EDIT:

i suddenly remembered a similar hero, right here in Manila! I've met him once or twice during our philmug (philippine mac users group) meetings... he's a creative director, a writer and an awesome speaker. he's the nicest guy and a fellow Apple lover, hehe. read more about juan and visit his blog at Fight Pompe. ü

our deepest fear...

2006-05-12T17:24:00.000+08:00

when i start blogging quotes and articles it's either because i don't have time to write anything else or that the said quote really inspired me or moved me to think.

this one is the latter, of course :)
-------------------

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

a return to love - marianne williamson

visit World Prayers for more inspiring invocations, meditations..etc. (you can even just click "Random"... i love it).

our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate... our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure...

we were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us

in pic: my younger sis in a man-made forest, bohol

why photograph war?

2006-05-10T22:12:00.000+08:00

got this from my friend jonna who got it from a friend of hers...

-------------

"Why photograph war? Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior which is existent throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion seem ridiculously out of balance yet that very idea has motivated me. For me, the strength of photography lies in its ability to evoke a sense of humanity.

If war is an attempt to negate humanity, then photography can be perceived as the opposite of war. And if it's used well, it can be a powerful ingredient in the antidote to war. In a way, if an individual assumes the risk of placing himself in the middle of a war in order to communicate to the rest of the world what is happening, he's trying to negotiate for peace; perhaps that's the reason why those in charge of perpetuating the war do not like to have photographers around.

In the field where your experience is extremely immediate, what you see is not an image of a page in magazine ten thousand miles away with an advertisement for the Rolex watches in the next page. What you see is unmedicated pain, injustice and misery.

It's recurred to me that if everyone could be there just once, to see for themselves what white phosphorus does to the face of a child, and what unspeakable pain is caused by the impact of a single bullet or how a jagged piece of shrapnel can rip someone's leg off. If everyone could be there to see for themselves the fear and the grief just one time, then they would understand that nothing is worth letting things get to the point where that happens to even one person; let alone thousands. But everyone cannot be there. And that is why photographers go there. To show them, to reach out and grab them and make them stop what they're doing and pay attention to what is going on.. to create pictures powerful enough to overcome the deluding effects of the mass media and shake people out of their indifference.. To protest, and by the strength of that protest, to make others protest."

~ James Nachtwey, War Photographer

captivated...

2006-05-02T09:17:00.000+08:00

just had a glorious 4-day weekend... a pretty busy one, but it was wonderful. my mom and sisters finally arrived home from boracay on sunday. my younger sis even had pasalubong for me, 3 pretty bracelets (not the tacky ones, too). and that night i was asleep on the bed, the aircon was on and my two sisters made me siksik and
slept there, one on each side. i don't know if it's because they missed me, or that they thought i felt bad about missing the bora trip... whatever, it was nice anyway. besides, i wouldn't have missed last sunday for the world, seriously! it was my first time to do backup for the worship team, and i was totally unprepared for it, in a good way! i loved every second, and even though every concert i ever performed in i was always a nervous wreck, for worship i wasn't at all. i was singing my heart out because that's exactly what it was...praise and worship. i didn't even notice all the people, except that they were all singing with me as well. it was so surreal. (oh yah, i DID notice daniel's bright blue hawaiian shirt pala... )

anyhoo, i'm in the middle of this amazing book that Randee lent me, Captivating [Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul] by John and Stasi Eldredge.

i'm really loving it ... i've never been more enlightened, encouraged, or had the understanding of my own heart before. been moved to tears quite a few times and i'm not even in the fifth chapter yet (darn work keeps interrupting me haha...) i told randee it was like somehow i knew all the things talked about in the book, only it was explained much better. i can't wait to finish it.

there's a version for men, Wild at Heart. i think every woman should read Captivating...and to the men who have read it to understand a woman's soul, you have a special place in my heart. (edit: ok dane, skimming would count too ü)

--------------
EDIT:
p.s.
of course, i'll be reading Wild at Heart next. ü

God gave me KFC ü

2006-04-24T09:15:00.000+08:00

no seriously, He did. hahaha. funny how God seems to have a sense of humor sometimes. that night it was like He was telling me "heyu...quit whining, i got your back!"

ok ok, maybe not really like that exactly, but i'm really glad that sometimes He would give me small reminders of just how close by He really is.

i was having a bad week... work was piled up more than usual, (ben wasn't in our team yet), and my boss and i were staying up latenights (or even overnights!) just to keep up. and to top it all off, i was in the middle of a project that wasn't really going well so i was nearly giving up... i felt tired, alone, insecure about myself and...and... oh heck, you all know what i mean.

ANYway, one night, i was staying late again in the office with a few other creatives. i was so focused on work i lost track of time but then around 11 i realized how hungry i was, gredge and roni started eating KFC which they bought earlier...aw man! the smell was overwhelming and i was sooooooo inggit i wanted KFC. NOW. but it was too late to have it delivered and too far to walk since it was the middle of the night.

so there i was feeling very kawawa (harhar, i know you're laughing eej :P) so i took a break and tried studying Pour My Love On You with our (broken) guitar. but that made me feel even more kawawa so i went to arbee and started venting out about everything... how i was tired from work, how hungry i was, how i was missing practice...blah blah blah.

THEN out of the blue ericCa came and said Ms. Marl (one of the seniors here at our company) called...remember, this was nearly midnight! she said she accidentally left some food and thought that maybe someone in the office might want it. arbee goes, "eto si diane o, di pa kumakain". i replied with a feeble, "yeah sure, i'll have it nalang", altho i was grateful at least i had some food.

it turned out to be a 2-piece KFC chicken meal, complete with coleslaw and extra gravy.

----------------------------------
Is there a way to show the passion in my heart Can I express how truly great I think you are
My dearest friend
Lord this is my desire
To pour my love on you...

happy easter! (and a brand new moleskine)

2006-04-17T09:11:00.000+08:00

hope everyone had a restful and blessed holy week. i know i did. i chose to stay home and just rest and spend time with my mom and sisters (both of which i haven't done much of since moving to our new office) translated: watch tv practically all day with them. oh, we went to Ace Water Spa in qc. gotta love those herbal heated pools. :)

anyhoo... i got another moleskine! tsk tsk...no, i'm not a moleskine addict. (close to being one, perhaps, but not quite yet). this one i'll dub my little miracle book. i've had quite a few miracles, blessings or even trials which i've overcome.... reminders from God that he is in fact "shaking" me -- a wonderful term i learned from Pastor Joey's book, The Promise No One Wants -- of which i decided to make a journal of.

ok, it's 1am, and my grammar's getting really horrible. i gotta go sleep already, but i promise to share a few of my writings here also.

ciao!

*poink!*

pie in a jar! yum!

Single Serving Pie in a Jar

test post

adorable cookie boxes

marshmallow boxes?

Ford & Ching + Marshmallows- 06.26.09

Learn To Take Time Off

Gianni Berengo Gardin: Photographer

CHOCOLATE apple pie...?

Chocolate Apple Pie

who wants to be an explorer?

i want...

:: RAINY DAY MEDITERRANEAN HOMEMADE PIZZA

mmmm...

Recipe: Easy Ethereal Popovers

surprise!

let us moodle!

are we getting too techy for our own good?

what i learned playing polar bear...

carpe diem?

10 Largest Malls in the World

rainy, rainy holiday [blurb]

Amazing Grace...the story behind the song

thoughts on moonrise....and thank you!

countdown to moonrise...

2007 Moonrise Film Festival schedule of screenings

what's YOUR sand in your shoe?

me, a goddess??? nyah. (a long blog)

more than meets the eye :)

the wonder of editing

har har har

best friends and new hair

having a heart for hannah ü

watching 300...(and woes of an art director)

cupcakes anyone?

"If men have compartments, women have tote bags..."

when i grow up i want to be...

scattered thoughts

7 days!

Is your mind flabby?

the great blondin

Why join...?!?

Join the Quest

All hail King Benjo!

"Remission Is Possible" - fundraiser for Benjo Marquez

no limbs, no limits - no worries

our deepest fear...

why photograph war?

captivated...

God gave me KFC ü

happy easter! (and a brand new moleskine)

poink!