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Widgets & Flash Toys

sketches and irony

last weekend, i was practicing with my electronic drawing tablet, a christmas present from mimi of sleepless in kl (thanks ate mi!!!). i'm still learning to get the hang of it, and in the end, somehow i finished some illustrations of pink and blue birds. maybe i'm color-blind, but when it comes to coloring my subjects, i have no boundaries between reality and make-believe.

i stopped tinkering with the drawing tablet when my right hand got too cold and stiff to make more lines. but that didn't stop me from doodling yet, as i was still quite in creative mode. with colored pencils i sketched myself from my pictures and i'm pleased with the girly drawings i finished. i took a picture of it, cropped and posterized it with picnik, and i'm loving the result!

on an ironic note, i saw on the news how one teenage girl in the UK suffered burns in her body after spending a wee bit more time with the sunbed, because she wasn't tanned enough after the first try. i was surprised the extent to which some people do just to get a tan. in the philippines, so many women (and some men) wants to be "white". tv commercials are flooded with whitening products, city centres are flanked with billboards of more whitening products from lotions, to soaps to creams to pills, to the astonishment of my husband when we were there. where's the world going to? i was working last week in the charity shop, when a woman asked me where i'm from. when i told her i'm from the philippines, she told me she likes my color very much. hmmm. not that i tried the whitening products myself (i have strong warnings from kj), but i tried to avoid the sun at all cost then, i didn't want to be darker. only to find out how people on this other side of the world crave for it. unbelievable. help me understand.

anyways, we're almost at the end of the birthday giveaway. if you have joined but couldn't see your name on my sidebar, do let me know before the deadline so i can include you in the random generator machine. if you'd like to support my shop, i would be really really happy, plus you'd get a chance to win some paypal happiness at the same time.

thank you soooooo much. for everything. {{{loves and huggles}}}

oh happy!

• a sale from the shop
• a quote : A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked. ~Anais Nin
  
• clementines
• oyster sauce
• writing on a pink journal (thanks nicole!)
  
• flannel pyjamas
• cup of steaming hot coffee
• public library
• liquid hand soap
• random tweets
  
• waking up inspired and feeling like conquering the world

it's friday, partytime in my household. lotsa love and huggles to yours.

thanks!

for all the birthday greetings, again, thank you very much!

today, kj took a day off from his job and we went to the immigration office for my new residence card. at half past five in the morning, we were already up again and after a quick cup of tea and a bowl of porridge, we were off to the city centre by half past six. this morning was yet the first time that the queue outside the building was not 512km long when we arrived, so our day started really really well. i now have my new residence card, but i have to endure looking at my crappy picture for the next five years. ^-^

i'd like to thank everyone for joining in the happiness is... giveaway. i have posted your links on my sidebar, so others can find their way to your blog too. the list on the left will go for the random winner generator by the end of this month, so if you have submitted an entry and i have failed to post the link, do give me a gentle nudge in my email so i can link you up. my memory is very very bad, my apologies if i forgot anyone.

tomorrow will be a day devoted to crafting for my shop and of earnest longings for the sound of the till. i am making a quick trip for the post office to send off more mails too.

now take care everyone, i hope your week's been going very well! i am on twitter too, by the way, so if you feel like chatting up, aherm, i'd love any diversion from the houseworks. ♥♥♥

thirty things

about me

1. my middle name is valentine
2. because i was born one sweet february night.
3. that day would remain my favorite time of the year to this moment.
4. i'm married to my soulmate, the love of my life, and everyday with him has always been better than the last...cliche that may sound, but oh so true!!!
   
5. i started sewing when i was in grade school, my doll's dresses made from my old clothes
6. my favorite subject then was home economics, all because of the sewing lessons
   
7. except for my mad sewing knack, i'd grow up the undomestic diva and failed all the meals i attempted to cook at home, leading to my being banned in the culinary department
8. my brothers were excellent in the kitchen, and as i thrived with their cooking, i also had to endure all their favorite movies. everything bloody and violent excited them, and not until i was in college, did i know that there are moviestars other than bruce lee, jean claude van damme, charles bronson, arnold schwarzenegger, and steven seagal.
9. i think it's a wonder i grew up a normal person, after all the violence i've seen and cringed at. despite the ordeal i went through, i still love my brothers to bits.
   
10. i moved out of our house when i was 21, to work in the big city about a thousand mile away from home.
    
11. after two years, i had enough of the big city life, and decided to move back to my little hometown, where life was simpler, quieter, cheaper, and where family and friends are at my beck and call.
12. the last five years i had a busy and stressful banking job, a trial by fire, i consider it the most formative years of my adult life.
13. being a grown-up doesn't mean i've put away the little child in me. i am at peace with her, settled our issues together, and we keep in touch every now and then.
14. a thought, a smell, a song, some random thing on the road can bring distinct memories of my past. strangely, the mind only remembers the good things vividly, tugging at the heart, and eventually at the corners of my mouth to bring about a little smile.
    
15. my husband and i knew each other since 1996. we lost touch for a few years, and in 2004, we crossed paths again. in 2005, he visited me in the philippines and met my family. in 2006, i visited him in holland and met his family.
    
16. before the end of 2006, he gave up his flat in amsterdam and moved to ireland for a much easier immigration route for me.
    
17. on 19 november 2007, we got married in general santos city in a small and intimate ceremony with our family and friends.
18. i arrived in ireland one cold, wet and windy (should-be) summer day of july 2008.
19. despite the gloomy weather, only feelings of gratefulness and happiness filled my entire being, from the tips of my frizzy hair to my cold toes.
20. we now make our home in a quiet town in the west dublin, so quiet in fact that some people who were afraid of silence have moved out.
21. with the help of my friends, i am slowly breaking off the mold of the undomestic diva. i can cook a mean dutch or irish meal for my husband now.
    
22. i am unemployed, and my main occupation at the moment is keeping myself and the husband healthy and happy.
23. when he's off to work, i sew, and craft and read blogs. when he's home, we cuddle in the couch and watch dvds. we are anti-socials because we seldom go out. when we do, most of the time we're riding our bicycles.
    
24. i call him kj (read: ka-yiy, from the dutch alphabet), and he has a thing over news reports. in the morning before he's off to work, we watch bbc breakfast. at six in the evening, we watch the irish news with rte. at dinnertime, we watch the dutch news with the nos journaal. i've never had this current events overload ever. oh, and i must not forget the filipino news!
    
25. i miss my parents so much. i love them and i'm proud of them. my mom is an intelligent, practical, no non-sense woman, a workaholic who can type probably a hundred words per minute while chatting on the phone, who would drop everything she's doing at my first call of h-e-l-p. my dad is a free-spirit who taught us to see the humour of every situation, to learn to laugh at silly things, to see and understand in a child's perspective, to express ourselves through art. my mom can wipe away pain and tears in a tight hug. my dad can build a playhouse with his toolbox and woodscraps.
26. my mother-in-law plays the drums in a band in a little town in north holland. she edits some books written in her language. she studied to speak german and english. she skates, plays badminton, cycles, and walks in the woods for hours every week. she watches her diet and she's more than 70. my husband loves her very much, and i do too.
27. i dream. i've always believed in my dreams too.
28. ik spreek een kleine beetje nederlands.
29. without crafting, my life would be a total bore. i need to knit, sew, craft, doodle as they're the food of my soul. i love handmade things.
30. i have made wonderful friends online. they've made my life happier, sweeter and more meaningful than it already is. i am grateful from the bottom of my little red heart.

a present from the republic of ireland and more

from the postman yesterday!

after months of waiting, i'm a bona fide resident! finally my husband and i can visit the family in holland, or take trips in the schengen without visa. i can go home to my dear pilipinas ang bayan ko without a re-entry visa to go back to my home here in the rain...to finally rid our minds of the immigration paperworks and travelling hassles is a big relief. so thank you ireland, this is the best birthday present yet!

~♥~
on a different note....

my dear friend and loyal swann&smerlin client, Jeanny, is celebrating her birthday on the 15th of february, just a day after i celebrate mine. our husbands also celebrate their birthdays two days apart in january. whether our future kiddos be celebrating their birthdays on the same month too remains to be seen, but we both would love it for sure! ^-^

do give her a li'l shout and big hug on her birthday. she's giving away a moleskin notebook to celebrate, so join in the fun!

my crafting blog

after a month of experimenting and hair-pulling, i finally got my crafting blog running. i couldn't link it to my domain because kj started something there last year and didn't have the time again to finish it, so, we'll wait in a few months until it expires and then i can use the domain name for the new craft blog.

{ swann&smerlin }

i'll post all my shop issues there, WIPs, and other craft projects that are wayyy overdue for posting. i've copied your links there as well my friends and i can hop on your sites quickly. it's a little less cluttered, so i hope you'll like it there too. do leave me a feedback if it loads very slow, or you don't like the layout at all. and if i may ask a favor, please link it on your blogs. ^-^

thank you sooooooooooooo much for the advance birthday greetings! don't forget to submit your happiness is... entry, so i can add here the link to your post --> see my sidebar.

take care everyone, i hope you all are doing just fine!

♥♥♥

the birthday giveaway

update: i'm listing on my sidebar the blogs that speak of happiness.
submit your entry so i can update my listing!
thanks!

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


{click on the pic to see my winter fun}

so...picture says it all. i still find it unbelievable that i'm hitting the thirties in a few days. i don't think my mom is even aware i'm turning 30. last time i checked, she thought i was only 26 or so. where have all my 29 years gone to? truly, time flies when you're having fun.

and fun we're going to have here this february!

because you've all been nice to me, i'm giving away little somethings for my birthday. the mechanics are easy, and you have until the end of february to join in. like i said, there will be two giveaways, one here for my blog, and another for the swannandsmerlin shop.

first, to join in the blog contest, simply write a post in your blog titled Happiness is..., listing in bullet form what happiness mean to you. easy peasy. BUT, it must be happiness felt with your five basic senses. except for the sense of sight, the rest of the senses are best experienced with the eyes closed, i always do it, 'ya know. no limit as to how many you can list down. no hurry as well, you still have a few weeks to publish it. better take your pen and notebook everywhere you go, and don't miss that tiny moment of happiness you felt while sipping that hot cup of coffee and staring at the falling raindrops outside the window!

link back to me, and drop me a note to submit your entry. cut-off time is midnight of 28 february 2009, dublin time. one winner will be drawn randomly, and announced on 1 march 2009. at stake in the loot bag are 30 handmade goodies from me:

• 1 tote bag
• 1 ribbon bookmark with your initial
• 1 set of gift tags
  
• 4 notecards
• 4 envelopes
  
• 5 postcards
• 6 stationeries with envelopes
• 8 lunch cards with envelopes
• some sweets and lots of love
  
• ---------------------------------------

total of 30 handmade happiness
=============================

the second giveaway is for my shop supporters. all purchases made until midnight of 28 february 2009, dublin time, will qualify for a random giveaway of US$30.00 paypal happiness which you can use to buy that little something you fancy online, or to buy yourself a flickr pro account, or order that photobook from your vacation pictures, or even to donate to your favorite charity. so please buy on my shop. you'll have me dancing in delight every morning, promise.

thanks everyone. i hope you'll hop in and join in the fun. i've had a wonderful life for 29 years (not easy, but over-all fantastic), and i'm looking forward to being 30 and pretty. hehe. what i really mean is, i'm looking forward to celebrate my 30th with you!

have a great week!

kusje!

swann&smerlin shop now open!

i've finally opened my etsy shop!

{ swann&smerlin }

i've actually started posting last december, getting my way around etsy and battling against procrastination. but then december and early january were really busy times for me, so i didn't get to do much.

yesterday, i was able to post some lunch card sets, and i was surprised to find one sale already this morning! i got really excited, so i thought i must share it now, whether my shop is ready or not. i still haven't posted some of my cards, because the weather was so crappy i couldn't take clearer pictures. hopefully the sun will turn up for the weekend, and i can take my cards for a photo op.

i sent off my first set of lunch cards to america this morning, while i'm dreadfully wishing it won't be the last. i'm really feeling all jittery, it's hard to be happy for a long while after one sale.

on a more exciting news (for me, that is), it's my birthday in a few days and i'm celebrating it with you! i'm giving away two random gifts, one here for my blog, and one for purchases made in my shop until midnight of 28 february, dublin time. do watch out for the details, i'll spill the beans on monday!

now, take heart, hop on my shop and make me happy!

happy friday everyone!

fitting room chronicles part 4, and some firefly news

for the time being, these would be my last fitting room chronicles and it might be a little while before i hit the shops again. i'm quite busy at home, my crafting hands so gunned up i'm grabbing the opportunity to be productive.

so here we go....

i went to the shop wearing these, underneath my thick unwashed winter coat that is. my pink t-shirt is also wrinkly and unironed but this brown jacket is my favorite. you'll see me wearing this over and over and over and over again. (i love it because my husband picked it for me when i first arrived here in dublin). until the buttons pop off. and then i just might sew them back on again. i love browns by the way. yummy caramel browns.

i bought this grey woolly h&m jacket, because it was on sale, and it fits me! i'm so small you see, and i'm in the land of tall women. it's a bingo! if i can find something that fits me so well. who can say no to a good bargain? i'd dig my last euro to snag one, really. even if i had to walk home. but then again, i always walk home.

we'll see if i ever get to the shops again, i might be braver to try some really girly dress. i love girly dresses, unfortunately, they're too fussy to try on, and i couldn't bring myself to wriggle out of my boots and jeans just for the heck of taking a decent picture of me. i spotted some really cute dresses at zara and at the back of my mind i was wishing my brother in law would get married so i would have a strong reason to get a dress. dream on. ^-^

on another news........

after dilly-dallying for a loooonnngg time, i finished a big batch of the firefly express requests. i've mailed them monday this week, braved the weather as sleet and strong wind whipped my face - the only body part exposed for nature to bash and thrash. hopefully, they've managed to fly past europe with the bad weather, cancelled flights and all.

if you've signed up for the firefly express, your little snail will arrive to you shortly, hopefully, safe and sound. it's not much, but everything i did by hand, with much thought and love. i've received lots of requests on my email, and i'm really sorry if i haven't replied to some as soon as i should have, i get lost in my mailbox too.

i know i should have sent them sooner, but it's difficult to do so when inspiration is low, and the mood is not right. anyways, i'm just glad to finally scratch it off my to-do list for the meantime. i hope i didn't miss anyone!

thanks everyone for signing up and for patiently waiting for it. i'm happy to have shared my craft and thoughts with you. pass the kindness along and give some love!


muah! tsup! kusje!

fitting room chronicles, part 3

sorry i've been quiet! kj is on holiday, and we were busy catching up on our sleep and much-needed rest after the stressful holidays, and because he hadn't had a day off the whole month of december, save on christmas day. it was quite hectic on his job then, he was only allowed to be off this january. we spent a lot of time in front of the telly, cuddling and keeping warm while the weather raged outside. the typical irish weather is back, gale and rain, rain, rain....

so while we kept the tea flowing and slices of apple pie warmed, we watched Dallas, and i got hooked to the absorbing, intriguing world of the ewings. season 1 is even older than i am, but since i have a thing for anything ancient, i just clicked with it. i hope i am not alone in all this dallas affection. kj has almost the entire collection now, we're just waiting for the 8th and 9th season to arrive in the mail. he used to watch the series with his grandmother when he was younger every weekend for some time, so the series has more of sentimental value to him than anything else.

ok, on to new fitting room chronicles....

i love cowl necks and soft, warm, and belted tops. there was too much to pick from the clearance sale, i just grabbed something before i hyperventilated. i can't be any happier than my pick!

a good tailored-suit is a must-have for would-be career girls. not to mention tiny and petite. ;-)

happy working week everyone!