my love for recycled stuff

it all started when i was in college...that was in mid 90's...i bought a round shape small backpack made of canvas cloth..i love that backpack...now i wonder where was it or..maybe who got it..(my mother used to recycle my old stuff too and give it away to friends and relatives who needed it most)...

when i was still in republic, my love for recycled stuff came back when i saw a cute 'bayong' (bamboo tote) held by a lady doctor friend...i said, 'wow doc, i love your 'bayong'...then she said, 'oh, it's yours na lg'...(hahaha) so i got it right away before she changes her mind. that was in March of 2009..i still know because i blogged it (in my previous republic memoir)...

taken at the office in republic

still in republic, another friend (i have so many friends when i was in republic, are they still my friends now? bwahaha), by the way, a school principal...gave me this. a tote made of recycled tetra pack...nice!

 

just recently, i saw this voodoo doll made of black garbage bag-like material...it cost me around Php 250.00...as you can see, if you open the zipper at the back, you got an extra tote...clever!

 the other day, mabe and i were thrifting around in a mall (?) here in the city, when i found this!! you won't believe me...this cost Php 20.00! This is THE real thrift stuff i got so far...it's a  tote made of coffee bean sack...it's plain, square and simple..so i thought of giving it a little life...

so..there it is!

i love recycled totes...ever..

so what's your best find?

Happy Holidays!!

it's thirty minutes past midnight...so it's Christmas day!!!

have a joyous and blessed Christmas everyone!!

oh i forgot to blog my tree!

did i ever mention that my Christmas Tree this year is...

BLACK.

Merry Christmas everyone!

going back...

nothing gives you that warm feeling than going back to where you started....

stepping into the entrance of my old elementary school brought so many memories of childhood and growing up and studying in a public school...

at an early age i got to experience both worlds...studying in a public school and when i'm home after school, my playmates were from private schools..

what's your school and playmates like?

my hmg by cvs

finally!!! my HMG 2nd Edition...thank you sue lynn :))

love it!

A Repost from republic memoir...

 

 

(date written: Tuesday, December 11, 2007)

You Know What I Did Last Month (amazing race version)

October 29, 2007 (Monday) - I got a last minute instruction from the Chief to go to Manila and purchase 2,ooo +++ pieces of toys for Children's Day on Dec. 4.

October 30, 2007 (Tuesday) - Hurriedly booked ourselves (Estela, our Tourism Officer and I) a ticket to Manila via Negros Navigation. Travelling by plane was never an option since we were on a tight budget :(

October 31, 2007 (Wednesday) - The wife of the Chief decided to come along together with a friend, so I rushed to Negros Navigation again. I bought my personal travel stuff in between the errands and packed my luggage 'til midnight.

November 1, 2007 (Thursday) - ALL SAINTS DAY. While the rest of the populace was on their way to the cemetery with candles and flowers in hand, me and my group were on our way to Banago port for the 11:30am trip to Manila. Since we were travelling with FL (firstlady), and carrying a Free of Charge Ticket courtesy of the Chief, we enjoyed the Cabin accommodation :)

November 2, 2007 (Friday) - ALL SOULS DAY. Again, the rest of the populace was praying for the souls, while we were in the middle of Traffic-Free Roxas Boulevard on our way to Atrium Hotel. After checking in our luggage, we wasted no time, rushed to 168 Divisoria Mall, grabbed a late lunch. Estela and I started looking for toys while FL and lady friend went together.

November 3, 2007 (Saturday) - I finally found a wholesaler of toys in Divisoria. The dilapidated building right before the arched bridge in front of Divisoria Mall, was THE place, they call it, Bodega Sale. If given the chance to go back and shop AGAIN, I would definitely bring: portable fan (super gin-ot!) indi kasarang ang pamaypay, bottled water, face towel for your balhas!, GPS so won't get lost sa pasilyo hahaha. I immediately ordered the 2,000+++ toys from a four different stores. I brought seven boxes of toys while the rest was scheduled for shipment. The main problem was: the whole building is closed on sundays so how in the world can I haul the seven boxes out of the building and bring it to the hotel right there and then? Answer: Call my suki car rental person in Manila and let him send me a van to pick us all up. Finally, after all the parking problem and kargador transactions, the seven boxes landed in the stockroom of the hotel. whew!

November 4, 2007 (Sunday) - Free Day. Shop. Shop. Shop. I will no longer elaborate. hehehe

November 5, 2007 (Monday) - Back to Bacolod. Sailing. Sailing. and sailing....

November 6, 2007 (Tuesday) - Arrival in Bacolod Banago Port was the easiest part. Two cars waiting for us, with staff to carry the boxes and the luggages, port manager waiting to welcome us back. I went home, drop my luggage, took a bath, play with mabe for a while, then off to the office to report to the Chief. Visitors arriving in the office late in the afternoon, visitors arriving the next day so I need to handle the preparations.

November 7, 2007 (Wednesday) - Up early, no time for backaches and headaches. Breakfast for Forty (40) persons. Urggh. Kapoy na gid ko!

November 8, 2007 (Thursday) - ABSENT ko. I can't get up from bed!

November 9-29, 2007 - I have less than a month for the town fiesta. I rolled up my sleeves, get to work, follow up the major sponsors, print and send the invitations, sat down with the fireworks supplier, etc.

November 30, 2007 (Friday) - Bonifacio Day. Non-working holiday. Oathtaking of the new sets of barangay officials. Task: Production Assistant; Official Photographer; Floor Director. Arrived home at 8:00pm. Terrible flu, clogged nose, cough. I promised mabe a treat so off we go Robinson's Midnight Sale.

December 1, 2007 (Saturday) - Arrange toys for the Children's Day. Got instruction from the Chief on how to arrange the toys a la Toy Kingdom, Toys R us, Toyland rolled into one. Went home around 8:00 pm.

December 2, 2007 (Sunday) - Day 1 of the festival. Continue decorating/arranging the toys.

December 3, 2007 (Monday) - Opening Parade. Early morning heat! Task: Official Photographer. Flu, clogged nose, cough getting worse.

December 4, 2007 (Tuesday) - Children's Day. Sadya. May mascot from McDonalds. Children crying, scared ky Birdie the mascot. hehehehe.

December 5, 2007 (Wednesday) - 4th day of the festival. I am still struggling with my cough and colds.

December 6, 2007 (Thursday) - Lin-ay pageant. Task: Judges' entertainer; production assistant to the emcee who kept on forgetting the acknowledgment of sponsors. Grrrr.

December 7, 2007 (Friday) - Buy boxes of apples. Follow up Joey's visa via DHL. Clean up the office, set up tables and chairs with the caterers, put christmas decors in the windows and doors of the office. (i forgot to add that at 8:30am, a fire broke down in the old market of the town and gutted four blocks.)

December 8, 2007 (Saturday) - Mass Wedding. 160 couples, the lowest for the past six years. Picture taking with the Chief one by one, Official Photographer at your service. Fiesta Lunch for the masses. Streetdance competition after lunch, still the Official Photographer. 5:00 pm: one hour and a half before the guests arrives for the program at the public plaza, I changed clothes and have myself made up. Production number galore. Fireworks. Apples. Finished at last.

December 9, 2007 (Sunday) - Finished? not yet gali. Hauling of chairs, tables, etc. back to the caterer. I promised mabe a treat again so off we go at SM, treat myself too at the salon.

December 10, 2007 (Monday) - FINALLY, my colds gone! 

this is how i look in 2007?? hahaha

i miss you!!

i miss my Nokia e61i...my friends used to call it calculator phone, hubby said its a wallet phone...

i had it for more than 4 years. the first time it came out in the market, i had it right away...under Plan 2500 (courtesy of republic) until 24 months lock-in period lapsed i did not replaced my calculator, so the cellphone company gave me a netbook instead as renewal and i upgraded to Plan 3500 (courtesy of republic again)..until October this year, hubby gave me a Blackberry Bold 9700...i thought BB is for me, but now that i don't have a job and just stays at home, BB's not giving me that much.

my calculator was a battered phone...used until it nearly died...fixed more than three times..replaced mouthpiece twice...changed battery once...slammed the most..i can't count how many times i dropped it, unintended AND intentionally..

last night hubby said he's getting an iPhone 4 in the coming days, good news for him and for me...right now he is using my calculator phone, yes still alive haha...i have a chance of having it back...yey! 

How's your phone working for you?

2011...

.... here's what the coming year awaits The Cat...hopefully :))

1. Trip to Abu Dhabi after school's over...hubby promised so show mabe and i around the place...i hope summer in UAE comes later than May or else, too much heat means staying indoors most of the time..

photo by hubby

2. I'm thinking of bringing mabe to Baguio next year..meet her other cousins and  aunts....

photo taken last april 2010

 and of course, meet her great grandmother...

taken last april 2010 at cousin la selle's wedding

while i spend a few hours in my aunt's binky and monique's bookstore/cafe on the upper level of Porta Vagga, beside the Baguio Cathedral....the view there is perfect i'm sure of that.

photo by binky costales

3. my cousin Mario will treat us with travel tours together with his wife ching and son zach...they are scheduled to spend vacation in the country next year...he is thinking of Bohol and Boracay...yey!!

photo from bohol website

photo by The Cat, taken last October 2010, boracay

4.  Of all the travels and trips, i still have one more place in mind...Vigan. I have been dreaming of this place for so long...but i want to bring hubby along..he would love the architectural details of the old houses..

photo by binky costales

5. Hello Kitty kingdom....i already know where to get this polariod and the 35th Anniversary swarovski studded watch...but it's pre-owned and i'm still haggling the price!!! hahaha

6. I know Sue loves me...and she'll buy an HMG second edition for me...yey!!!

7. I know, I know....my arms are huge..I am huge! and this bag will push me out of bed and hit the gym...honestly, I looove the bag :))

2011 here i come...

FAB 5's Randdie turned 33!

....yeah, he's one year older than the rest of us...haha!

Agnes wasn't there with us....we miss you preggy agnes!! i know its the blues....but its okay..

Happy Birthday Randdie!!

its all about SPAIN...

..and football...and this cap.

Remember when i blogged that i lost this cap? I told hubby when he was here two months ago...and its okay, he says, i got a new one. (oh thanks God!)

here's The new one....

i hope i won't loose this :))

Chinese Fooda Wednesday

Sue's birthday was last November 14, but she's loaded with so much legal stuff that the celebration was just this evening..

Since Sue is half chinese...actually we don't want to think anymore where and what to eat...the easiest is of course, Chinese food :))

Happy Birthday Sue!!

FAB 5

My best of the best friends ever...we call ourselves, Fab 5..hahaha I know it sounds corny but we love it that way...

Randdie, Mark, Luna, Agnes, and me The Cat. 

HISTORY...

....Randdie and Mark were classmates since Kinder (hahaha really), they knew each other since the day they don't know how to zip their pants yet...they became best buddies until college. In college, they met me, The Cat. We were behind the publication of the school, in short, we were student journalists 'kuno' haha. Then Luna and Agnes became friends because of the college guidance group something, which Mark and Randdie were members too...then Luna was my classmate in other subjects, then Mark was courting Agnes...but, the story doesn't stop there. 

Luna and I graduated first, then Randdie, Mark, and Agnes followed the next year..after a couple of years we meet again since Randdie and Mark are still best buddies, Luna and Agnes lived near each other, and Mark was still in courtship mode with Agnes...and so we eventually formed a Mcdo Buddies sort of group because we loved hanging around Mcdo when our schedule permits...Until me made it a tradition to see each other at least once a month or on special occasions. Later on, Mark and Agnes got married, after a year of marriage saga, little Mark is on the way. 

Fab 5 witnessed each others lives...we saw ourselves crying and laughing over the ups and downs...every changes, every success, every defeat, Fab 5 was there.

Life without Fab 5 will never be same.

I love you guys!!

Erly+Jemuel prenup shoot...

November 21, 2010 ---- a perfect sunday morning for Erly+Jemuel's prenuptial photoshoot...

 

Erly+Jemuel's photoshoot covered by my friend Owen of OSB Photography....

Jochebed, my model...(hahaha) sister of the groom...while Erly+Jemuel photoshoot was on-going...i am busy with my own photoshoot also...in this lovely woods...

with all the food Erly+Jemuel brought...it was a great picnic/prenup shoot...

I had a great sunday!

How's yours?