The One About the Ambitious Project

I have here some shots of some of the things I shall be using for my most ambitious craft project yet. I say ambitious because I'm not really sure if I can pull this whole thing off. I have never done any beading or accessory-making before so if I craft this out right, I can definitely declare that I'm a gifted crafter! Hahaha!

The craft project is wedding-related so I can't really spill the beans yet save for some obvious details that I will be using vintage-looking earrings, rings, and brooches. Oh, and pearls.

Having said that, the outcome (if successful) will be revealed in May of this year when I get married. :)

I might show some sneak peeks, though, as a way of showing progress on this project. I do hope it will be a success. Until then, wish me a good dose of crafting luck! :)

The One When I Proposed (A Tutorial)

Like many engaged couples out there, TB and I are working within a budget. The nice thing about working within a budget is that it stretches our creativity and maximizes our resourcefulness. Still, we want our wedding to be reflective of us -- nothing pretentious, nothing too frilly. Just simple, down-to-earth, and laid-back...and possibly crafty (or maybe that'd be just me?).

Which brings us to my first wedding-related craft. I wanted to ask my friends and relatives to be part of our special day in the most crafty way. So I made proposal boxes.

I got inexpensive craft boxes and painted them white. After the white pain had dried, I painted purple over it. Then I used Mod Podge as a sealant. If you don't have Mod Podge, you can use a mixture of equal parts water and glue.

I got some silk fabric and cut them into circles of different sizes. Don't worry about cutting uneven circles. They would turn out to be imperfectly perfect.

Light a candle and then singe the edges of the silk circle cutouts until the edges curl up.

Place three circles on top of each other (smallest circle in the innermost). I got a purple button and sewed it through the circles.

Put the circles aside. Meanwhile, I printed the words "Will you be my bridesmaid/maid of honor?" onto cardstock, cut it out, and taped it onto the inside of the box lid.

I cut out another circle using cardstock...

...and snipped around the edges.

And then I folded the snipped edges. I used a cutter to cut a slit in the middle.

I used hot glue to stick the fabric flower onto the box lid and inserted a ring into the slit in the box.

It turned out to be quite a surprise for them -- much like a real proposal. Here's my maid of honor, smiling from ear to ear.

Bridesmaid #1

Bridesmaid #2

Bridesmaid #3 whom I haven't met up with yet but she knows already. :) Ate Lib'z, if you're reading this, your box is still with me. Teehee!

With the proposal over, it's time to get to the nitty-gritty...and we don't have much time! Until then, happy crafting!

The One About the 2011 Printable Posters

In just a couple of hours, we shall be bidding 2010 adieu and welcoming a new year. I hope 2010 has been kind to you; it sure has been to me.

I am celebrating New Year here in Baguio. The wonderful weather is perfect for sipping a tall Peppermint Mocha. It literally is a holiday in a cup. We are staying here at The Manor and everyone is in a holiday mood from the log cabin ambience to the gingerbread delights at the bakeshop to the wonderful albeit faint smell of pine trees.

I managed to make some printable posters with some words to live by for 2011. Hopefully, one or two will tug at your heartstrings and make an effort to live it out in the new year.

Just click on each poster if you want to print them. Happy New Year everyone! :)

The Ones That Have Kept Me Busy All This Time

I have been making some homemade goodness this holiday season...

Italian meatballs smothered with marinara sauce for TB's family Noche Buena

Something I crafted in my kitchen for the people I love

I hope everyone's enjoying the holidays! I know I'm enjoying the chilly mornings! :)

The One About the Recipe Binder (Part 2)

Remember when I started on making a vintage-themed recipe binder in order to organize all the recipes I have from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet? When I first wrote about it here, I only got this far.



I was able to find the time to get more work into it.

I bought binder dividers to categorize the recipes.

The binder dividers weren't this pretty when I bought them. They were plain and came in generic blue, red, yellow, and green. So I bought some vintage-looking gift wrappers and Mod Podge-d them onto the dividers.

Words to live by...

One gift wrapper was enough to cover only four dividers. I went out to buy more of the same print but I just couldn't resist this print! It's a 1968 Tigger!

I printed the recipes, added pictures and clipart, and placed them in clear sheet protectors.

Now I can't wait to get started on cooking! Haha! Happy crafting -- and cooking!

The One When We Came, Saw, and Conquered the Heavenly Sofitel Spiral Buffet

Oh yes, we did! Thanks to CashCashPinoy, TB (as The Fiance shall now be known henceforth) and I were able to get vouchers to dine at Sofitel at 50% off! CashCashPinoy and other groupon websites can be real gold mines.

Anyway, we were close to celebrating 42 blissful months of togetherness so dining at Sofitel was a great way to celebrate.

I purposely wore my loose boyfriend shirt to hide my ballooning tummy. Hahaha!

Beautiful cutlery

My first round - er, course: grilled eggplant with yogurt, pate, cerveti salad (sausages, onion, pickles), lettuce with olive tapenade, and hummus with pistachio-crusted dinner roll (because there was no pita bread)

Second course: tuna and salmon sashimi, crab stick, California maki roll, tuna maki roll, and sushi rice with toppings

Third course: ham and veggie pizza, pesto and olive oil pizza, Thai grilled prawns with lemongrass, dimsum, Thai grilled pork

Fourth course: Peking duck, prime ribs, ratatouille, and mashed potato with apple compote

Fifth course: Escargot soup. I usually start with a bowl of soup but with the hundreds of dishes there, I didn't get to see the soup at the start.

Sixth course (by this time, TB had given up. Hehe!): Soba noodles, shrimp and pomelo salad, chicken yakitori

Seventh course: chocolate creme brulee and truffle cake. This was supposedly my last course. I wasn't big on sweets but I could never resist creme brulee. Both were delightfully too sweet so after finishing my plate, I looked for something salty which led me to have my...

Eighth course: Gorgonzola cheese, Rebluchon, Manchego, goat cheese with ash, Caprice des dieux, and dried apricots.

So there you go. Yet another buffet conquest. I usually have seven courses but the Sofitel buffet made me beat my own record! To make things sound even more disgusting, there were no resting, no breaks, no "Rest muna ako...pababain ko lang kinain ko" moments in between courses. I rest my case; thy name is gluttony.