Birthday Dinner at Mint Cafe

I was thinking of something special to do for this milestone-ish birthday so I took my family to a restaurant in a hotel, something we had never done before. My siblings and I grew up not having too much but I also did not feel like we had too little.

When we were so much younger, my parents would always throw birthday parties for us. A party would mean having to blow candles on our cakes with friends and relatives around but as we grew older, the gatherings became simple. You know, life happened. :) Cakes would sometimes be absent but there was always something because in this family, every birthday is a milestone worth celebrating.

I made a pact with myself that on my birthdays, I'll take my family somewhere special rather than throwing out parties ('cause I am not really the party type. Hihi.) . Mint Cafe at Greenleaf has this luxurious feel but friendly on my pocket. I honestly wouldn't have cared paying a little extra because it was my gift to my family but really, this restaurant is budget friendly. 

I like looking at my mama watching her family happy and noisy during a meal. I like how my papa wants to copy a recipe from every restaurant we go to. This here, my friends, is what I live for. I am the giver type of a person. I love making my loved ones happy. That makes me the happiest human being. 

Oh, thank You God for the 30 beautiful years. I am deeply grateful! Thank you to the people who made me a part of their lives and for making this day extra special. My heart is full. The photo below pretty much sums up my birthday wishes. :)

Have a happy heart friends! :)

Frozen Blue Birthday

Some people are worth melting for.  Olaf is definitely right! I'm melting for the ever sweetest Math and IT people who put up a Frozen-themed party for Laiza and me! The floating snowflakes, the flying Olaf, the Elsa and Anna cake topper, the colorful balloons! Wow!

It is a usual phenomenon in the office to create something for the celebrators. Thus, I was not supposed to be surprised anymore. Although I did not have expectations, I still felt that they surpassed my expectations. That feeling!!! 

Ems as Elsa and Laiza as Anna :)

Frozen birthday party

Everyday, I am grateful for this job and the people who surround me in it. It is not always a perfect working relationship, like any other relationship but we manage to grow together through love and respect. You are all so special to me!!! Thank you for your creative minds and hands. It was another sweet surprise!

For the record, Laiza and I did not talk about our color of the day. It's just that great minds think alike. :) We were feeling extra playful that day so we thought of having an impromptu photo shoot. Coordinated dresses, birthday balloons, a scarf turned table cloth turned picnic mat, a natural  green backdrop, a willing photographer, and we were good to go!

 

It was too much fun for a first time!!! Birthdays are the second most wonderful time of the year!

Scarf It!!!

Scarves are part of my life as far as I can remember. They are a staple in where I live and work for protection against the sun and the dust. It never came to me that a scarf could be an accessory up until recently. 

I learned how to match the color and style of my scarf with what I wear. I used it as a neckpiece during a Baguio trip to keep me warm. On other travels in not so cold cities, I used it to boost a plain ensemble. I love the fact that it does not only give a different expression of a person's fashion style but it also is very functional. What's more, there are no strict rules on how to wear one. Thank goodness! If there were, I'd not be as brave to play with one.

Here's me and my little scarf obsession.

And here's Jessica Alba in her amazing scarf fashion!!! Speechless! Awed! 

She is everywhere and so are her scarves! Love! She uses it in every season and maybe for every reason! I think she always makes an excuse to use one. *Sigh! There are more tons of photos of her with a piece of cloth hanging on her neck! She now is my scarf peg! 

I'm feeling the need for some upping. Good thing I found this very helpful tutorial in youtube on how to wear a scarf. Note, there are no rules, just fun ways! And the lady in the video shows 25 awesome means for an awesome-looking scarf! (Redundancy alert!) :)

25 ways to wear a scarf

Bunny ear looks inviting. I will try that and more on the new scarves I received for my birthday. Thank you to my mom and my brother's girl. :)

I have a new travel mantra: Scarf it!

Caela turns two!

As the cliche goes, "Time flies so fast." Our baby just turned two on Philippines' Independence Day. My sister and I decided for a green polka dot and stripe pool party. Mint green was on my mind while planning the party - for a feminine touch. It turned out that bookstores in Gensan have scarcity for color variations. Oh, craft stores, I wish you exist on this side of the world! But a trying hard good craft-maker is resourceful. :) Thus, we made use of whatever was available and I think everything turned out to be beautiful. Love is on the handmade details.

Customized polka dot and stripe balloons

Polka dot and stripe balloons

    I pumped the balloons using a balloon inflator sold for about Php50 in a local department store. These big balloons were sold for about Php100 per dozen, balloon sticks about Php30 per dozen. I accessorized the balloons with white polka dots and stripes using bond papers.

Bunting

    My sister made the bunting from used cartolinas and bond papers.

The Number 2

   My brother-in-law made the giant number 2 from a used styrofoam - the one from an appliance packaging. Who would have thought something good could result from an almost trash thingy. 

Cupcake toppers and monograms

    My sister is such an artist. She designed the cupcake toppers and the monograms for the loot bags. She even made those pretty ribbons.

Loot bags

   These striped yellow green loot bags were made from wall papers. The bear key holders were bought for super cheap prices.

   
Cake and cupcakes
    The cake and cupcakes were made by Caela's ninang Marian. I also made some banana muffins but failed to take a photo of them.

 

The prettiest pool in Gensan is in Gensan View Resort. It was just fitting to celebrate Caela's birthday there. They have clean pools, well maintained landscapes, photogenic venue and most of all, friendly staff. They did not give us a hard time booking them. :) I really like it when the crew of a business establishment are accommodating and extra caring. It means to me that they have good employers who don't just want put up a business for the sake but to offer excellent service.

Happy birthday our smart and pretty little one. I'm excited for the day when you can read Tata's blog and find this post. :) As of now, enjoy your water colors and colored pencils. You already know how to draw rainbows, pigs, and stars, at least in your eyes and ours. :) You also draw faces of Papsy, Nana, Mama, Papa, Tito Jan, Tito Bobet, Mommy, Ko May, and mine. We say that you're doing good at it although we only see scratches of small circles and spirals all over your crumpled bond paper. Keep up the good work baby girl. Surprise us in your next art work. You are loved! :)