Duchess of KAYmbridge: Loving Anthropologie

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Loving Anthropologie: I L-O-V-E Anthropologie , love it ! I think most if not all of their stuff are interesting and super cool . Everytime I browse through t...

Loving Anthropologie

I L-O-V-E Anthropologie , love it ! I think most if not all of their stuff are interesting and super cool . Everytime I browse through their website , I end up loading my cart with too many stuff and find myself way over my budget ! This time was no different , I had to cut down dramaticaaly on my orders . Some stuff , I just couldn't pass up . Let me share my choices with you .

I like this mug as well as the other one on top . I can picture myself sipping my morning coffee from this mug , something as cheerful as this would surely brighten anybody's day .

How cute is this owl cookie jar ? It looks so adorable , like it's totally willing to keep my secret as I steal another chocolate chip cookie from it's belly .

These Francophile plates look good in the wall or on the table . They look sturdy and fun ! My kids would totally enjoy eating their meals from these plates . What do you think of my choices ? Aren't they pretty ? Now all I need to do is place my order , I'm sooo excited !

Viva Paella !

Sorry for my silence , the past week has been CRAZY ! In between tutoring my daughter for her exams and catering to my customers demands , I also had to play nurse to my husband who was down with the flu . There was barely any time left for moi , so my dear friends blogging had to take the back seat while my full attention was focused on my family and business . However , I'm back and I'm looking forward to a much better week ahead of me . Since I mentioned that my husband was sick , I feel like I want to share with you a little something about this wonderful man . He is a man of action . He likes to keep himself busy with work , with some project of some sort , with his hobbies or his sports , etc . You would rarely find him idle . Actually , if ever you do find him idle then he's probably sick . Which is what he was last week and which is why it was so hard for him to just stay in the house and rest . Monday , he found himself with fever . He took some medication , lots of fluids and time off from work to rest . Tuesday , his fever went down and since he was " feeling much better " , he decided to go to the office in the morning and bike around the village in the afternoon to "sweat out " whatever fever was left . Wednesday , his fever was back with a vengeance ! By Thursday , I was able to convince him to go to a doctor for a medical check-up to rule out Dengue ( thank goodness the result for dengue was negative ! ) . The doctor's diagnosis : he had the flu , the doctor's orders : lots of rest , lots of fluids and meds. for fever as needed . So it was back to bed for him for te next three days . He was not a happy patient by the way , all this inactivity made him grouchy . My cure for grouchiness is usually food . I find that cooking my husband's comfort food never fails to put him back in a good mood . This time he requested for paella . My recipe for paella is actually my mother's and she taught this recipe to me way back when I was in high school . This is one of those dishes that I can do with my eyes closed . Let me share with you my recipe .

You will need: 1 kilo chicken thighs marinated with soy sauce for 30 mins. , 3 cups japanese rice , green peas , 2 pcs, chorizo Bilbao sliced , red bell peppers sliced into thin strips , 1 carrot cubed , 1/2 kilo beef sliced thinly OR 3 pcs. chorizo Bilbao sliced diagonally ( I prefer using the chorizo Bilbao ) , prawns or shrimps ( quantity depends on your preference ) , Paella yellow food coloring , spanish paprika , 4 cups chicken broth , saffron , 4 pcs , hard boiled eggs ( quartered) , 2 lemons ( quartered ) , olive oil , salt and pepper to taste , 1 whole garlic chopped , 1 onion chopped , 4 tomatoes chopped . Procedure : Heat olive oil in a paellera or whatever pan you have that's big enough to hold the rice . When oil is hot enough , fry the chicken thighs until golden brown . Remove the chicken from the pan and save for later . Sautee garlic , onions and tomatoes , add the red bell peppers , carrots ,green peas , beef , chorizo Bilbao and the pre -cooked chicken, continue to sautee until all the ingredients are mixed well then add a few threads of saffron , 2 tsp. spanish paprika , 1 tsp . yellow food color , salt and pepper to taste . Add the rice followed by the chicken broth . Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let the rice cook . I do not transfer the paellera on the oven , I just let it cook on the stove top mixing the rice every 10 minutes or so ( not to worry if you find some burnt rice at the bottom of your paellera , this is to be expected ) . When the rice is cooked ( it usually takes the rice 40 mins . to cook ) , I arrange the prawns on top of the rice and cover the paellera again with aluminum foil until the prawns are cooked . Just before serving , I arrange the eggs and the lemons on top of the rice and Voila ! paella is served !!

Meeting Baby Ruth

The best sweet and sour pork that I've tasted .

Eight Wonders chicken

Inside the Eight Wonders Chicken

Shrimp stuffed sea cucumber

Last friday started out as any regular day . I did my errands , got busy at Baby Cakes, etc, etc, . I had no clue that this day would turn out to be a very interesting day afterall. You see , this was the day when I came face to face with a true blue "foodie" . I know several people who love food and who cook well , my mom included . However, nobody I know comes close to Baby Ruth . Yep , like the candy which incidentally was my favorite when I was growing up ( my preference in chocolate has since moved on to the more sophisticated kind , wink ,wink ! ). Baby Ruth was introduced to me by a good friend , she was here in Davao to take part in the Kadayawan festival and interview a local personality who is spearheading a very noble coffee project . She was introduced to me as a contributor for Mabuhay magazine , the in - flight magazine of Philippine Airlines . I would soon discover that she is much more than that .We talked for a while , she tried some of our pastries and a few minutes later ,my sis-in-law and I found ourselves being invited to join her for dinner at the Lotus Court of the Marco Polo hotel . I wasn't so sure that the invitation was sincere cuz hey , it's not everyday when you get invited by a new acquaintance to anywhere . However , she insisted and we just could't resist her easy , open , friendly manner so we accepted and agreed to meet at 7pm . A few hours later I found myself at Lotus Court face to face with a delectable plate of sweet jellyfish , thin almost fatless roasted pork skin , Asado pork and some other thing I couldn't remember the name of . I dimly recall Baby Ruth telling us that the jellyfish was nicely done and that it was as good as the other's that she's tasted in Chinese resaturants in Manila . I could only nod at this commentary and roll my eyes as soon as the jellyfish hit my tongue . What the ? UHMMMM ! THIS WAS REALLY GOOD !!! I had to stop myself from attacking the rest of the jellyfish which was a good thing too cuz after the appetizer came the soup then the salted fish fried rice then my head just went on a tailspin as I lost track of the food that kept on coming to our table non- stop ! How will the five of us ever finish all these food ?! I shrugged my shoulders and continued eating SLOWLY , marvelling at the dishes that Baby Ruth ordered . Apart from the sweet and sour pork and the dessert , these were dishes that I would normally have considered too exotic for my taste . Boy have I been missing a lot ! All throughout dinner , Baby Ruth was entertaining us with stories about food . How that particular dish was prepared , how this particular dish was supposed to be prepared , where to have the best Hainanese Chicken rice , the best tofu , her countless experiences with food and everything that is connected to food . It was like I was transported to another world . A world populated by people who are passionate about food . A world where only the best food with the best ingredients exist . I would often wonder what good food tastes like for chef's like Anthony Bourdain or Tom Colicchio . I now have a pretty good idea . I listened on while Baby Ruth talked to Chef Gary ( the Lotus Court chef who is also her friend ) giving him insightful and sincere feedback about the different dishes in front of us . There was nothing put on or mean or condescending about her when she gives her opinion on a particular dish . You can sense that her comments are intelligent , developed only by a person who is truly passionate about food and wants to share this with others . My digestive system would attest to the fact that it was THE best meal that I have ever had at the LOTUS COURT . I would sometimes have lunch there with my husband but we normally limit ourselves to ordering Dimsum since we are fans of what is familiar and we seldom venture into the unknown .... culinary wise . This meal was a pleasant surprise , it was like Christmas were I would open box after box of presents and the next is always better than the previous one . THE BEST GIFT that night however was Baby Ruth . Her gift of friendship and camaraderie is indeed more precious than any rare spice available in the far reaches of the Orient . If I have to think of only one word to describe her , it would be GENEROUS . She is super generous with her time , her knowledge , her contagious laughter , her friendship ...... herself . It was nice meeting you Baby Ruth ! I'm glad to have made your acquaintance , looking forward to Sept. 2 ! :)

Goodbye Jill

People say that you never appreciate the value of someone or something until they are gone . I realized how true this was when our dear old Jack Russel died unexpectedly a few days ago . We got Jill 9 years ago for her sniffing and rat killing talents . This was way back when we were still renting a small comfy house in a nice subdivision . Everything was nice and perfect , the location was ideal ( close to shopping malls , church , market , school etc . ) , the neighbors were friendly and the neighborhood was generally peaceful and quiet . There was only one MAJOR drawback .... the RATS ! Our house was located along the perimeter fence of the subdivision and beyond the fence was a vacant lot used as a vegetable plot . I'm convinced that this vacant lot has been taken over by rats .... yes , conquered and ruled and all that ! It didn't take long before these greedy pests decided that they had to conquer OUR lot as well ! In comes Jill , our hero . And boy what a hero she was ! I saw her in action once and I must admit that it wasn't a pretty sight but boy oh boy , I was impressed ! I will ofcourse spare you the details . :) She was so good at eliminating the rats that in a matter of few months , rats bacame a thing of the past . A distant , ugly memory . Jill however was still out for some blood so her next target ( to our horror and embarassment ! ) were our neighbors' chickens . It took all of my diplomatic skills to pacify our neighbor and all of my very limited dog training skills to tame Jill . On hindsight , training Jill was probably 5% me and 95% Jill's own doing . She was so smart , she probably figured out by herself that she had more to gain by following me . After my son was born , we transferred to our own home . Ofcourse , Jill came with us . She was around 4 years old by this time , not old but not so young either. She was still hyperactive and smart and she still gave the occassional field mouse a heart attack just by her snarl . However , I noticed that she was getting frustrated from lack of stimulation or probably lack of excitement . Our new place is far more civilized than the previous one and I presume that the highlight of a dog's day is the walk around the park strutting their wares for all the other dog's to see . Now Jill is an exeption , she was a rebel among dogs . When dog's would be walking by with their pretty leashes and cell phone toting yaya's , Jill would be running leash free AND yaya free . A true rebel indeed ! As any frustrated dog would tell you , all this frustration needed an outlet . Jill's choice was my garden . This would prove to be the boon of our relationship . She would dig , dig , and dig all the way to China it seems . I on the other hand would get mad , madder , maddest !!! Eventually , I gave up and just decided to plant my most precious flowers in pots , so she wouldn't be able to dig them . As the years passed , Jill became calmer and we figured it was due to her advancing age . My kids had some memorable moments with her when she was content just playing with them instead of grabbing their toys and jumping incessantly until YOU get tired just by watching her . Then last year in came Ali, our new dog . All our attention was directed at Ali and I must admit that I am guilty of neglecting Jill in some ways . How I wish I knew she didn't have a lot of days left to share with us . I would have played with her more , given her the best bones , fed her the tastiest dog food I could find and given her more , much more attention than I did , I know though that "what if's " and "would have's " are a fool's words . I should find comfort instead in the knowledge that Jill and I had our special moments together . She has been a loyal dog to my family and in her own special way she has given us much joy . I finally decided to bury her in my garden . On the same spot where I used to find her digging like mad . I just wish that wherever she is , she would have finally found what she was digging for . Goddbye my ever loyal friend .... thanks for the memories !

My home in Instagram

My happy Buddha 

Madonna and child near the front door

I 

Welcome !

I love the "cathedral" window by the stairwell . It let's in a lot of sunshine every day .

I have a lot of oriental stuff in our home . I actually  wanted a shabby chic  look  for our home but my husband and I inherited a lot of furnitures from both  our families that is of the Filipino and Oriental style . So  I found myself gravitating towards Orientalia when I started buying  decors .  Nevertheless,  I still manage to indulge my shabby chic fantasy  . I discovered that mixing some shabby chic  pieces with orientalia makes it more interesting .

I found myself with a bit of free time on my hands this morning  and decided to experiment some more on the Instagram . There I was clicking away , completely giddy with this new "toy" that I discovered . This time the subject that I chose was my house . Actually , I didn't have much choice since my kids were in school and our dog was in diva mode. I guess he was not ready for his close up today . So I was stuck with something that doesn't move and doesn't complain .... ever ! A perfect subject , wouldn't you say ? 30 mins. later I found myself with these photos . I actually find some of these photos a bit creepy , what do YOU think ?

Discovering Instagram

Isn't he adorable?

Taking a break from studying

The serious pose .

My son happily  told me this morning  that he got a perfect score on his Math exam . Wahoo ! All his hardwork paid off ! He feels so proud of himself , he  told his lolo, lola and friends about it ! :) I'm so happy for you Tomas !



A photo of moi in Instagram

 Studying is no fun !  This was how I felt growing up . I remember dreading to go to school every morning and  wishing to all the saints and stars that I would get sick so that I would have a reason NOT to go to school . The only time I was happy was during History and Science , my two favorite subjects . History because even at young age , I was already nosy . I was interested with the past , different people , culture and places . Science because I was naturally curious about the world around me . How about the other subjects ? I hated Math soooo much I barely passed every quarter from grade 3 to 2nd year college ( thank God I didn't have any more Math subjects after that ). I  enjoyed English only when I was in 3rd year high school thanks  to Jane Austen and to  my all time favorite teacher , Mrs. Baldovino who was the best teacher I ever had . To this day my love for English literature endures, thank you Ma'am ! Luckily , I discovered the world of crushes and puppy love in high school , going to school meant seeing my crush . That made me want to go to school every day and it also inspired me to do better in my studies cuz I thought that doing well might impress my crush . He,he,he. It was only in college when my outlook towards school and learning changed . Maybe it was because at this point I have outgrown some of my insecurities , or maybe because I thought that this was a new beginning for me and I was determined to be a better student , I'm not really sure . But things got a lot better for me then , I even ended up recieving a medal when I graduated , ehem .   Anyway , I promised myself that my kids would have a totally different experience from mine when it comes to schooling . I was certain that if they started school prepared and confident with  their skills , they wouldn't be plagued with insecurities like I was .  It was these insecurities that kept me from doing well , so I wanted my kids armed with the correct tools that would enable them to perform better than I did . It is this belief that inspires me to teach them and  help them with their school work  no matter how tired or busy I am . Hence the past few days , all my energies where focused on tutoring my son and helping him get ready for his exams .  However , no matter how serious we were with the reviews I made sure to inject some fun moments here and there and take a break from the tediousness of it all . One of our fun moments was goofing around with the Instagram which I recently discovered through Yvestown and Daphne Osena - Paez's blog .  Instagram is a great way to add texture and mood to your photo's  , I enjoyed experimenting so much I took LOTS of photo's just for the fun of it . Too bad it's only available for iphone :( . Here are some of my photo's worthy of sharing !

The flowers of Kadayawan festival 2011

I always found the Catleya to be elegant . This purple one is no exeption .

If people in the west buy new plants and revive their gardens during the spring , I do mine during the month of August . Not that my garden needs reviving since I live in the tropics and my plants pretty much stays alive most of the time . However , it definitely needs a little sprucing up to give it that "fresh" vibe . I usually get tired at looking at the same colors month after month , so a little change is always welcome . The month of August is the month of the Kadayawan festival . It is a thanksgiving festival for good harvest. One of the festival's events is the Kadayawan plant exhibit at the SM Mall of Davao parking lot. Different nurseries from around Davao city and it's neighboring towns showcase their plants and flowers at the exhibit . It is usually the venue for the horticulturists to display  new varieties of plants , flowers and trees. I found myself visiting the exhibit bright and early last sunday . I wanted to avoid the heat and the traffic . Like a little girl at a candy shop , I eagerly looked around and got overwhelmed by the countless choices on display . Since I love colors , I headed straight for the flowering varieties  and found myself surrounded by different orchids , bromeliads , roses , variegated bougainvillas , hybrid hibiscus , yellowbells , bluebells , violets ..... ohhhhh the numerous choices made my head spin ! I traipsed around the aisle checking out one stall after the other , exchanging friendly greetings with several familiar faces . Pretty soon , I found myself caught up in the vibrant colors and the heady fragrance of the flowers . I had to supress the impulse of closing my eyes and imagining myself in a tropical paradise surrounded by exotic flowers ( a picture of Bali Hai comes to mind ) , lests I give and impression to the exhibitors  that I've gone loco  . After much deliberation , I finally settled for some orchids , bromeliads , a few herbs to add to my collection and a cinnamon tree.                                            

Another purple orchid . :)

Have I mentioned how I love purple or violet colored flowers ? This one is a bromeliad.

More flowers !

What do you think of these beauties ?

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Plants vs. Zombies cake

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Plants vs. Zombies cake: "Check out the Michael Jackson zombie  ! Have a brain-y birthday ! Let me share with you the Plants vs. Zombies cake and cupcakes th..."

Plants vs. Zombies cake

Check out the Michael Jackson zombie  !

Have a brain-y birthday !

Let me share with you the Plants vs. Zombies cake and cupcakes that I made last week  . It was made with moist chocolate cake and buttercream icing . The cupcake toppers were made with royal icing that was dried for 3 days . I used Wilton star tip # 16 , 17, and 19 for the cake decoration .  I think the celebrant had a brain-y birthday indeed !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !: " When my husband and I were newly married , we would frequently visit the city of Mati in Davao Oriental. His cousins have a farm there were..."

What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !

 When my husband and I were newly married , we would frequently visit the city of Mati in Davao Oriental. His cousin has a farm there were we are always welcome to visit . We would use every holiday as an excuse to drive off to Mati and stay for a day or two . The idyllic farm setting , the then undiscovered beaches and Manang Bibing's Chicken Binakol were the things that would pull us back to Mati every chance we had . Manang Bibing is the cook of my husband's cousin and she has spoiled us all with her cooking . After every meal , we would be too full to even stand up so we would linger by the dining table and swap stories . Among all of Manang Bibing's specialties , my favorite is her chicken binakol . I would make sure that I would be by her side watching her every move whenever she cooks this dish . According to " Memories of Philippine Kitchens " by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan , chicken binakol is a traditional Filipino dish which originated from Bacolod . The original chicken binakol was cooked using a bamboo tube as a cooking vessel for chicken , young coconut and herbs . The tube was sealed with lemongrass , covered with a banana leaf , and tied securely with a string . A hole would be dug in the ground just big enough to fit the bamboo . Live coal would be put at the bottom of the bamboo and the bamboo fitted into the hole . It was then regularly rotated and banged against a hard surface to prevent the chicken from sticking to the sides . Whew ! Before you get any ideas  let me tell you , I don't cook my chicken binakol that way , okay ? I don't have the time nor the inclination . Neither does Manang Bibing for that matter . So , whenever I crave for Manang Bibing's chicken Binakol        ( like last night ) I would just cook it Manang Bibing style . Let me share with you her recipe .

You will need :
One whole chicken , cut into pieces ( I use free range chicken , it's tastier )
2 tomatoes , quartered
1 onion , quartered
3 cups young coconut meat
3 cups coconut juice
2 stalks of lemongrass , quartered
1 small piece of ginger , sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. juice from calamansi
few pieces of sili (chili) leaves
Procedure :


After cooking , I transferred the soup into the empty coconut shell for a more authentic presentation .

 Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender . When almost ready to serve , add the sili leaves .

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !: "When my daughter was a toddler , I would bring her to the kiddie salon at Rustan's Makati whenever we were in Manila . I would look for..."

Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !

FunCuts Kiddie salon is located at the 3rd floor of Gaisano Mall of Davao .

When my daughter was a toddler , I would bring her to the kiddie salon at Rustan's Makati whenever we were in Manila . I would look forward to this trip to the salon because my daughter has very thick hair and it usually takes a  stylist atleast 40 mins. just to give her a nice trim . Now , all you mother's know that 20 mins. for a toddler is an eternity , how much more 40 mins. , right ? It was unbearable for her , she would fuss and fidget and I have to do everything short of breath out fire and walk on my head, just to keep her entertained . That is why kiddie salon's are a mother's best friend when it comes to having their kids hair cut . It is usually equipped with a TV with DVD player which plays the child's favorite show , my daughter's show of choice at that time was Barney . So while the friendly staff is snipping away at her hair , she would happily watch her show and sing along with Barney . Needless to say , it was  a much more relaxed and pleasurable experience for both of us  . It was around that time when I , together with my  friends Yvonne and Camille decided to open a kiddie salon in Davao . We felt that therewas a growing need for this type of service in Davao city . Fastforward to today and we are happy to be celebrating FunCuts Kiddie Salon 's 4th year anniversary . From the very beginning the response from the public has been very encouraging . Our customer's have stayed with us through the years and we have seen their kids literally grow before our eyes . It warms our hearts everytime we see a child excited to have their hair cut which as any mother would tell you is very rare indeed . We try our very best to maintain a friendly , threat free environment and we consider everyone as part of our big FunCuts Family ! To all our precious customers , thank you so much for your continued support and patronage !

Doctor's Orders... I Think.

Warm calamansi juice  to keep the flu away .

Since my misadventures with our beloved dog Ali , I have been feeling under the weather . Apart from my sore muscles (which makes feel like I have been in a boxing bout with Manny Pacquiao ) , I felt like I was going down with the flu . Now , this is the worst time for me to get sick . Not only do I have some pending cake orders but  my son's quarterly exams are coming up as well  which means that I have  to turn into one of my multiple " secret " identities .... the tutor mama . Mother's these days juggle a million and one things , we like to think that we can do it all and have it all . I am no exeption , however I am realistic enough to realize that I cannot do everything all at the same time . I have  my priorities and they are in this order , my family ( husband and children) , my business and career growth ( as if  ! ) , my social life ( really ?! )  and my blog ( ha!ha!ha! ) . Funny how the word "family " sounds so simple when in fact it is loaded with challenges that I happily try to overcome on a daily basis . From the very beginning , I made the choice of putting my family first before my career . I gave up my previous job and decided to commit 100 % to the role of wife and mother .This is a decision that I've never regretted and I consider myself to be extremely blessed to have the option of staying home to take care of my growing family . I have learned so much from the different roles that I play , just the word mother means that I have to be a  nurturer , friend , confidant , teacher , nurse , cook , protector , the list goes on . True , these roles takes so much from me but I wouldn't have it any other way . No amount of wealth or success would come close to the  pride and happiness that I feel everytime my husband or kids thank me for something as simple as a good meal . To quote Jackie O . " If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much " .   So , as I have to spend most of my time this week preparing reviewers for my son and tutoring him , I have to fortify my body and not allow it to succomb to illness . I loaded on vit.C  ( drank 2 liters of warm calamansi juice everyday for 2 days )  and got plenty of rest . No malling for 2 days !  Thankfully , when I woke up this morning I was feeling soooo much better . Tutor mama is on !

Wonderful Winnie the Pooh cake

After attending the 3D cake decorating workshop by chef BooBoo Maramba , I Was finally able to put  what I learned to use . BabyCakes had an order for a Winnie the Pooh 3D cake for a baptismal party . An actual Winnie the Pooh mold / pan was not availble so I used a Care Bear mold intstead . Here is what it looks like .

I used chocolate cake since it's more dense , no chiffon or sponge type cakes for this one . It doesn't look like Winnie yet but not to fret , it WILL look like Winnie after . I used buttercream icing and star tip #16 and #21 for piping the icing .

Ta Da ! Hello , Winnie !! For the blanket , I used rolled fondant and gumpaste for cute little Piglet .



Add caption

 Here is what the whole set up looked liked . 3D cake with cupcakes for giveaways . The Pooh friends cupcake toppers were made of Colorflow icing . Colorflow is actually a Wilton product that you add to your Royal icing for a glossy effect . You use it to make whatever design for your decors and let it dry for 3 days.
What do you think ?  Winnie and Piglet looks adorable right ?

Joey's Birthday cake

 A few days ago , it was our dear friend Joey's birthday . His wife wanted to surprise him with a "gym " themed cake . For that personalized effect , I went to their home and did a bit of research . I snooped around his personal gym and asked his wife  which equipment he normally uses . I had to go back twice , each time making sure that I wouldn't get caught by him . It was very "cloak and dagger " like .


Making the fondant figure and gym equipments was  challenging but also very fun to do . The cake is actually chiffon with butter icing . Not only does it look good , it also tastes yummy . :) 



I made sure that I got most of the details of his gym correctly . The floor is actually the same color as the one in his gym and yes he has A LOT of dumbells .  All in all , everyone was happy with this cake . I was pleased with my work  and most importantly , the birthday celebrant was bowled over by it . Happy birthday Joey !

Who Let The Doggie Out ?!



Meet Ali , our "puppy " .



Isn't he adorable ? :)

I was walking our dog yesterday when I figured in a minor accident . First , a little backstory . Ali is our German Shepherd who's 1 year and 6 mos. , still a puppy in dog years . Puppy ?  Yeah right ! There is nothing" puppy like" about him except for his attitude and temperament . He is a huge dog , he weighs around 50 kilos . Compare that to my weight then I would say that we would be even pound per pound . Now here's the glitch , while his body weight is probably oh I don't really know maybe 90 % pure muscle ( I'm guestimating ) mine is 100% flab . GRRRR. No one to blame but me , I know. So anyway , Ali has managed to intimidate his previous "walkers" which were mostly our driver and helpers . I would see  Ali walking them around the village and not the other way around . He ( the dog ) would be pulling the unlucky walker who's holding on the leash for dear life ! We hired a couple of trainers but long story short , it didn't really work out . A couple of sundays ago , I was watching the "dog whisperer " and had my big Oprah " Aha ! " moment . I was so inspired by Mr. Millan that I thought , " why don't I walk Ali ?" Somebody has to take control of this dog and it's gonna be small , petite , never -had- a - sport - in - her - life -  before me . Yep , I was gonna be the leader of Ali's Pack .The Alpha Male , whatever . Ha!ha!  Anyhow , I have been walking Ali for about two weeks . There were no major mishaps , I tapped into my inner alpha male and followed Mr. Millan's pointers . Yes , I even peppered our treks with the occassional TSSSST ! I was so proud of myself as  I BECAME the Alpha Male , I AM  the alpha male ! YEAH !  Piece of cake . Finally , this big hunk of muscle is under  MY control  !Oh , how I naive I was !!! So back to yesterday . Like I said , I was walking him feeling confident BUT NOT complacent . You can never be that with this big a dog, believe me . We were both enjoying the breeze when out of nowhere we were bombarded by angry barks by two small dogs . A Pekingese on our right and some sort of Terrier on the balcony on the left . You can guess what happened next . Ali went berserk and unleased the power of those muscles , down  the gravel I fell while he proceeded to DRAG ME TO HELL  !!! Uhmm sorry ,  I'm getting carried away here . Now where was I , oh yeah he dragged me  towards the pekingese since duh he can't reach the one in the balcony, right ? I found myself holding on for dear life , determined not to let go of his leash cuz Ali on the lose would be a disaster . Thank goodness I managed to stand up , controll him , move on and check if anyone saw this most embarassing  spectacle . Luckily , no major damage was done . I have some not so minor scratches, bruises and so on and oh ofcourse the HUGE GAPPING WOUND ON MY PRIDE !! Sniff , sniff .  I believe that the joint attack of those two pesky dogs just did it for Ali . We passed these  houses before and we would encounter these dogs but it was always one or the other  . Ali did get a bit excited at first but after a few days he got used to  them . Who knew those two would join forces and bring us down , well bring me down atleast . I have since forgiven Ali  for losing his cool . My husband decided to  enroll him in dog obedience school , this time for real since  we have thought of doing this  before but never  got around to  it . It's a different story for my son though . I heard him telling Ali that as punishment for "hurting " me there would be no belly scrubs from him and no whistling to Ali for 10 years ! Wow! How sweet . :) I had to explain to my son though that it wasn't really Ali's fault , in his mind he was just probably trying to protect me ..... OR WAS HE ? Hmmm . Cesar Millan aka, The Dog Whisperer .... HELP !

My Deep Dark Secret

Lately , I've been consumed by a single thought . So , I decided why not write about it and let you all in on a little secret about myself . Dear friends , I am ( deep sigh ) .... a bag hag . There , I admitted it . That is my deepest darkest secret ! What ? What did you all expect ? :) Now , I like to think of myself as a practical sort of person EXCEPT when it come to bags . Clothes : I can resist , shoes : I like them cheap and cheerful but when it comes to bags , I literally drool . Over the years I have amassed a modest collection , nothing over the top and I draw the line at a Birkin . Afterall , I am a baghag with a conscience . I just refuse to buy a bag that costs as much as a low cost housing here in the Philippines . On second thought , If I win the Lotto or by supreme luck would happen to chance upon the said bag 70 % marked down .... I just might give in . I'm just human after all . Ha!ha!ha! Anyway , since my birthday is coming up next month I can't help but obsess about the Tod's D bag . I usually get a bag for my birthday ( I force my family members at gunpoint to get me one ! Ha!ha!ha! Joke ! ) and this is definitely my bag of choice for the moment .  I am in love with the softness of the leather and I have been a great admirer of classic bags . I like to collect bags that I could pass on my daughter and would still be in fashion 20 years from now. Practical , remember ? . So will I get this bag for my birthday ? I'm keeping my fingers and toes  crossed !

Picnic Fun !



 I like to mix and match patterns for my table, it makes it more interesting .



Chloe was saving this sparkling cider for a special occassion . She declared that this day was definitely special !



The flowers were from our garden . In case you are wondering how come there's ketchup on our table , my son likes to put ketchup in almost everything he eats . I am hoping this is just  a phase and that he'll soon outgrow this.



Cath Kidston mugs . I just love Cath Kidston , I ordered some plates and bowls from her website . I can't wait for it to arrive !

Smoked fish pasta and chicken pesto sandwiches with sun dried tomatoes. Yummy !

My children had been begging for a picnic for quite sometime . As we were enjoying a fine weather last weekend , I decided to indulge their whimsy . Out came the picnic table and the usual picnic wares . My daughter Chloe and I made some pasta and chicken pesto sandwiches .....Voila ! Instant picnic for lunch . I lounged lazily on the picnic mat while my kids worked up an appetite flying their kite . After lunch , we swapped stories about insects and worms , two of my son's favorite topics . I was glad that I gave in to their wishes cuz I ended up having a most  wonderful time  . Sometimes we have to listen to our kids and just go with their suggestions , we usually end up having the best time . When it comes to having fun , I'm convinced that kids are the experts . That saturday afernoon was proof of that . We didn't have to do anything fancy which is unusual for me cuz when it comes to gatherings ,  I usually need atleast a half day lead time . I like to obsess about the menu ( which food goes with what , what wine goes with what food ) , arrange the table just like so and get consumed with the smallest details that I usually fail to really enjoy the moment . I am kinda OC in this way . This picnic was different however, I let my kids take the lead and I just went with the flow .    My kids enjoyed it so much , they want to have a picnic every weekend ! Well , why not ?