Toys & Gifts Bazaar 2011

Last year's Alabang Hills Village Toys & Gifts Bazaar was a blast.  Obviously, I enjoyed.

This weekend, here it is again. I am excited.



Hope to see you there.  Click HERE to see more photos of last year and the reason for my soft spot.

Birthday thoughts

My day happened five days back.  No big bang fireworks.  No fancy dining experience. Instead, a simple celebration happened here.

Binondo

To die for

Yet, prior to any celebration, it has long been my ritual to recap  and reflect all that had transpired over the past year.  It is in  this way I culminate the old year with gratitude for the blessings I have received, extend my sincerest acknowledgement for the learnings from bitter mistakes, then move on to the next with new dreams guided by brighter inspirations.

With obvious lack of commitment to continually grow my best list, I am grateful for having been blessed over the past year with great health (as claimed by my endocrinologist)...

a blissful marriage (spicy at times)...

great support from family (even with bouts of MIS"es"--MISunderstanding, MIScommunication)

long-time friends (thru thick n' thin)

a multi-personality staff (who stands firm and strong in highs and lows)

and of course, the effervescent love affair I have with beads.

In my deliberate move for a long time to remain in silence out of shyness, I opt to share with you how grateful I am for these bests this time.   Life has its own way of taking its course despite the multiple attempts to do otherwise, but I have learned that all are left with no sense and misguided direction without these bests.   Yet, as grateful as I am over all these, I give much thought as well  on the what ifs, what abouts, whys, and how comes.

In this case, I speak of GIVING. 

What is it in giving that a few others are sparked to ask for more?  When given, demands are born and dissatisfaction is raised.  Not a simple thank you is said.  And when denied, nothing is to be expected except for a tounge that could lash one's heart.  

On the day of my birthday, I faced these.

The FIRST happened while at the height of the Pharmacy's medical mission.  Like in previous months, we extended our usual care to those in need of medical assistance and lifetime maintenance by providing free medical check-up and few medicine samples.  Specific to this medical mission,  we took things a notch higher.  Homemade snacks composed of   ham and cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee were provided to all patients as well.  A handful were sincerely delighted and had extended their gratitude.  However, majority spoke otherwise ... "Ay, gusto ko ng tea!".... "Wala bang gatas?".... "Bakit ham sandwich? Sana may iba pa!". Instantly, I thought, "Never again! What's with the demand considering all these are given for free!". 

SECOND and THIRD revolved around financial concerns.  First call came early morning, and the next came  late at night.  Both wishes granted.  Yet, I cannot deny myself of that  wish for a birthday greeting while both calls went on.  No one to blame.  I kept my day hush.  Facebook broke the secret.

Similar situations had crossed my path in the past. But lately, I find myself preoccupied with this matter even more.  I could have bluntly put the blame on aging as  main culprit of pinching the most sensitive points of my nerves.  Yet, I was taught and consistently reminded of  the act and benefit  of giving  since childhood. As the saying goes, Give and you shall Receive.   And as what Mom and J. Bond's Mom tirelessly impart, Give and it shall return Tenfold.

The truth is, giving can hurt.

Giving hurts when expectations are set.  No thank yous, just harsh words. It hurts when unsatisfied whims take on the lead.  Immediate financial assistance in exchange for greetings. It hurts when desires lie on bigger returns. An investment anticipated to gain back a huge heap of load in time. Instead, what is gained is loss.

I began writing this post 5 days ago with no clue on how to begin, how to go, more so how to end. All I felt was a strong urge  to ramble on such matter. But as days went by and as my writing of this post had  slowly progressed, I see things clearly now.  

Whims, harsh words and unfulfilled expectations have long  been part of  giving. It will always be.  However, none should matter, nor be bothersome,  as long as the way of giving remains  true and sincere. It is this that I wish for this coming year...The heart of giving. Give without hesitation, without expectation, without  anticipation for gains and returns.   

But returns do happen by the way.  Without knowing and through this post,  I came to realize that  I have long been blessed with  beautiful and heartwarming bests...definitely way beyond a tenfold return.  So I leave it at that and continue on :) 

          

 Trixie ...

Best 3: STRESS!!!

I'm serious and rather proud to claim that STRESS is a "best"!  But before I expound  further, here's a recap of my first two bests:  1)  BUGSY (and his licks), 2) BUTTER.  

Back to Best 3: STRESS...

In a nutshell, it was STRESS from my not so long-ago corporate life that I had found myself immersed in the world of beading.  A stress-reliever that had given birth to six collections namely, Beaded Cloth, Tala, Flora, Chalk, Laso and Butones. Now that I have moved towards a more relaxed day-to-day life, I continue to bead as much as I can.

But yesterday, I capped my day highly stressed.  Pharmacy-related which pertained to  a concern that has happened in the past, most especially during days with unforeseen leaves and unscheduled meetings.  No need to dwell further, but I was robbed of my good night's sleep.  So in the morning, J. Bond awoke to this sight...

Me (still in my night shirt) and a walis tingting (coconut broomstick) adorned with red, gold and green beads. While at the height of last night's stress, I fought hard to think Christmas.  My way of lightening the red hot mood (read: 10 minutes of sermon at 10:30PM).  So, I beaded...J. Bond woke up shocked...and now that I have cooled off , I am shocked as well.

It is still a work in progress, but I am loving every part of it. 

Will surely share with you the finished Walis Tingting Christmas decor soon :)  J. Bond says to keep this decor all year round, but change the beads according to season.  Why not?!

BEST 2: BUTTER (in heaven)

Prior to yesterday's blog, I dwelt on age.  But after having received a jolt from J. Bond and a card from Patti, I continue on with my "BESTS" list.

While at mass last Sunday, Father Lambert spoke of death.  He had kicked off his homily with the question, "How ready are you to die?".  A question no one dared answer, and had left everyone in deep thought.  I felt fear. Though Father Lambert had successfully transformed the gloom into a joyful and promising outlook, this question I just had to ask J. Bond in a hush ...

"Do you think there's BUTTER in heaven?"

My daily fix is butter.  Really!  A fixation that goes far back to my childhood days. Obviously, it lives to this day.



So here you go, my 2nd BEST, BUTTER!

Aging=BLESSINGS

I feel J. Bond's exhaustion from my neverending nightmare called aging.  He says..."Age is only but a number! Why not dwell on your blessings instead of age!".  Fine! So, I stare and stay on mute mode for a couple of minutes. Then in a flash, I  go at it once again. On his end, long silence. Oh men!

It truly pays off to have girl friends who simply know how to perk things up. Patti and I met up two nights ago for a burrito/steak sandwich/french fries/onion rings dinner.  After much talk and before we said our goodbyes, she handed over in advance a floral pack of L'Occitane bath products and this birthday card.  

The card says it all.  It had shoo-ed away the no sense issue of aging from my thoughts, my heart, practically my whole being. So before my birthday arrives (a week from today), I will follow J. Bond's words..."dwell on your blessings!".  I will list and share with you a few of my BESTS as we go along each day, then culiminate on my DAY.

Here you go...*In no particular order by the way.

FIRST, Buggy (with real name Bugsy) and his new habit of LICKING (my face and feet). 

Shopping early for unique finds

I felt Christmas while I walked along a short block yesterday morning.  Come to think of it, Christmas is literally just around the corner.  The decors are out and the festive jingles have begun.  I love how the early morning cool breeze of January-February have arrived earlier than usual. Reminds me of the cool, clean and crisp climate back then.  

Then in the afternoon, I capped my Christmas shopping HERE.  An aunt who goes crazy over great bargains like I do introduced me to this treasure trove. Amazing finds!

Like this open-mouthed fish.

I'm thinking of stuffing its mouth with hand towels or paper napkins. My aunt  will arrange and decorate her fish's mouth with dried flowers instead.

A day ago, I raised a friendly reminder to my friend to shop for Christmas gifts early.  Her habit is to shop a day before Christmas, then caps it off with a zoinked out mood.  Once, I found her seated in a daze right smack at the middle of the mall with shopping bags scattered all around the floor.  Obviously dead tired from the rush and long lines, yet still in major panic since her shopping was far from over.  I'm her opposite.  I  love the hunt for unique finds without the rush.  So, I begin way ahead of everyone else and take my sweet time.

If there's in any way you can relate to my friend's way of shopping yet on the hunt for something unique like me, By Beaded Story's Mother's Heart necklaces are back.  A unique yet heartwarming gift for the lovely women in your life.  You may order online by sending an email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com or posting via private message in facebook.

To view all collections, click HERE.