Dear Santa....

After the putting up of the tree and Christmas decorations around the house, Gian's Next Agenda was his presents. This time he keeps on looking for presents from Santa. So I asked him.
Mom : "Have you Been a good boy?
Gian: Why....Yes Po!
Mom: Really?
Gian: Yeah!
Mom: Then you better write a letter to santa so He'll Know what you want.

Immediately he asks for a pencil and paper and starts to write(Kuno Hehehe! D Pa po sya maalam.) Pero mind you serious ang little boy.

orde

Mom: So what do want from santa?
Gian: Uhmm....
1. Bubbles!
2. Toy!
Mom: what kind of toy?
Gian: Car!
3. Glass that is not dirty
4. Ball na di sira! (coz every time that he insists on playing with his ball but its bedtime na, we tell him he can't play coz its sira)
5. Big umbrella
6. cellphone
7. computer!
Mom:Anything else?
Gian: Uhmm... enough na.
Mom: Great!(buti 7 lang pero madugo ito!)

So that night after church, I gave him an envelope to put his letter. He left it on the tree hoping that Santa would come and read his wish list.



And every morning, soon as he wakes up, he rushes to the tree and inspects the branches where he left his wishlist.On the 3rd morning, He was ecstatic to learn, his letter was no longer where he left it! With eyes aglow,and a smile from ear to ear, knowing that Santa must have gotten his letter because he was a good boy! So now he's expecting his presents just like mommy's which seem to pile up each day.

And 12 Days before Christmas,a pleasant surprise awaited under the tree. As he inspected the new presents he noticed some of the presents had the letters G-I-A-N written on the card. And He shouted Thats me! Look Mommy! G-I-A-N! Thats Gian! I Have Presents!Yehey!and he burst into song, the lyrics of which only he can comprehend! And he reached for one and Asked:

Gian:Can I open my present?
Mom:Uh Oh! Sorry son but you have to wait till christmas.
Gian: But its Christmas na! Look at the neighbors, they have christmas na!
Mom: Son we have to wait until december 25

OH boy! The debate lasted a few minutes. finally what I did was I got a december calender, pasted it on the ref and pointed the present date and encircled Christmas Day. To appease him, thus started the 12 days of christmas daily countdown, wherein every new morning he puts an X to mark a day closer to Christmas!With each Passing day he opens one present.

Our House Has Christmas Na!

For the Past 12 years,I normally put up my Christmas Tree and decorations on December One. However, My 3 year old son changed my routine. Here's why. Around 3rd week of November my son saw our neighbors houses having christmas lights already. "Look Mommy! Our neighbor has Christmas na but we dont have Christmas yet!" I said " Son, Its still too early to put up the christmas tree." Big Mistake! As soon as I said it he started muttering to himself that how come the neighbors have na. sabay giving me the "Paawa Look". Kaya even though I was supposed to prepare for my lecture in Batangas the following day, We eventually put up the Christmas tree that night. And Boy was it A memorable One. Gian was so happy that night. He even wanted to be the one to put up the Christmas Balls on the tree. When he saw an old Santa's hat, he put it on pretending to be santa's helper. Just look at these pictures! Sayang nga lang na tinotoyo ang camera ko. WaaaH! But then....

Thank you Gian for this very special moment with you!

Around the Block Entry

I have been soooo busy lately that I haven't scrapped for weeks now. One thing more, my internet bogged down for almost a week. Haay, kaya tambak na messages ko sa email!
And,I havent made my LO for Marissa's ATB Challenge! Good thing the night before the deadline naisingit ko gawin. Here's my entry.






I like this picture of my son Gian because it was able to capture what my husband and I call his "Mischievous Look"! Everytime he has this look haay nako siguradong may gagawin yan na bawal! TFL!

My Scrapcorner!

Hi Everyone! Because of the great prizes in store for the winner of the RAK my world by Marj, I decided to reveal my mess...ooops! I mean my stash! Believe me,when you visit her blog, you will drool at the goodies in store for the winners!

But first let me show you my Scrapcorner when it was a bit neat and with less kalat. This was taken right after the scrappinmoms Idol contest.But of course several months have past kaya its back to its usual messy state which you will see in my slideshow. Hehehe!

November Scrapbytes Entry

Here's my latest entry for "Scrapbytes"- Seek Inspiration Challenge. For starters I sought inspiration from one international scrapper- Kelly Goree, whos' works I saw at the BG Gallery. I just loved her layouts and her choice of PPS especially when she uses bright colors which I love also. There's this one LO which really caught my eye.



With this inspirational Layout of Kelly Goree, I made this LO of my son who was a month old when the picture was taken. Its been a long time since I wanted to scrap this picture but could not quite decide how to do the LO until I saw the above work of Kelly.And since my son Gian(aside from my hubby of course)is my inspiration in life, Swak na swak talaga itong layout na ginawa ko for scrapbytes!Here's my entry entitled "YOU".



I used my left over BG Oh! Baby Boy PPS, did some stitching and for the first time, I did a lot of DOODLING!Yup! madami na po yan. Hehehe! Thanks scrappinmoms! Kung di dahil sa requirement ng doodling sa challenge, I wouldn't have attempted to doodle.

My first Christmas Present!

A few weeks ago, I received my very first christmas present for the year thru email. Here's a portion of that email......

From: "Sahrie Wenceslao" View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
To: rimalou@yahoo.com
Subject: Invitation to be a Guest Deisgn Team Member
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:17:23 -0500

Dear Rita,

Your layouts are beautiful! I woud love to showcase your work on our website and blog as a Guest Designer in August 2008. I would ask you to make 3 layouts and/or altered art projects with the materials and also include the instructions on how to make each one. All your layouts will be featured on the Inspiration page, the homepage, as well as our blog, as well as your picture and your bio.

If this is something you would be interested in, please let me know.

Thanks so much!

Sahrie


WoW! I was totally numb for a few minutes. Then when it finally sinked in, I was so thrilled talaga that I immediately said yes to Sahrie! Hehehe! Baka magbago kasi isip nya eh! Hehehe! O Diba? Maagang pamasko sakin to! Thank you talaga Sahrie for choosing me! I just hope I can live up to your expectations! Now nga that the announcement is made public medyo kabado na ako. Haaay!

Two More Layouts this week!

Its been a really productive week for me. After my piggy tales and BG Layouts I was again able to make my Hambly Challenge entry and my first overlay layout. Hope I can make some more over the weekend. Here's what I came up with.

One Fruitful Afternoon!

I was supposed to go to greenhills yesterday afternoon to attend a meeting but because of the heavy rains the group decided to cancel it. So with nothing else to do, Liezl, Chiqui and I decided to scrap! As usual before starting, we first had merienda - baked macaroni with buttered toast and a very deliscious Choco from Bicol! Grabe! ang Saraaaaap! Then off to Liezl's Playroom to scrap!

It's been a long time since I last made a layout that wasn't meant to be submitted for a challenge or contest. Kaya ang sarap ng feeling na nakatapos ako ng isang LO in one sitting. Normally it takes me days to complete a layout. Maybe because it was not for a contest kaya ok lang kahit simple layout ang gawin. And It was accepted at the BG Gallery pa! I was also able to finish my piggy tales entry that day. Well let me share it with you. Feel free to comment on it! TFL!

This is my Piggy Tales entry.

Issa Tagged Me!

I think this the 3rd time that Issa has tagged me but I never got around to doing it. Sorry Issa! But this time gagawin ko na ito.

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

Seven facts about me: (1) I love Japanese food! I can eat it every day! Kaya ko yata kumain ng 1Kg of Salmon Sashimi! (2) I have a crush on Richard Gomez and Ariel Rivera! (3) I'm A Josh Groban Fan! As in emote na emote ako when I hear him sing. Pinaglihian ko pa sya when I was pregnant! (4) I hate it when people Lie to me. (5)I'm pihikan sa food especially vegetables (6) I hate it when people smoke in front of me (7) I am an addict scrapper and Panic Buyer.

A - Age: 40

B - Band Listening To Right Now: none

C - Career: Pediatrician/Pulmonologist

D - Drink or Smoke: I hate both!

E - Easiest Friends To Talk to: Liezl, Cors and Zaida

G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Gummy bears

H - Have a Boyfriend: Ex-boyfriend meron! But he's now my husband

I - In love: Am always in love

J- Junk Food You Like: Potato Chips

K - Kids: Gian Paolo

L - Longest Ride Ever: Los Baños to Ilocos

N - Names For Your Future Kids: Malabo na ata madagdagan eh!

O - One Wish You Have Now: To Finally be able to build our dream home next year!

P - Phobias: heights/ Claustrophobia/Flying insects

Q - Favorite Quote: You are never fully dressed without a smile!

R - Reasons To Smile: My Boys

S - Sleeping Hours: normally 12mn-6am

T - Time You Woke Up: between 5-6am

U - Unknown Fact About you: Natutukan ako ng baril ng mag away yung driver ng FX na sinasakyan ko and another car driver ng dahil lang sa pila sa tollgate. It has been my worst nightmare ever!

V - Vegetable You Hate: halos lahat.

W - Worst Habit: Humihilik pag sobrang pagod!

X - X-rays You’ve Had: Chest

Y - Yummy Foods: Japanese and native foods

Z - Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

There! I finally finished it! Now I'm gonna tag Helga, Cors, Timi and dianne!

More BG Layouts!

Finally finished two more BG layouts which I submitted to My Little Attic's BG -Multiple Pictures Challenge. This was indeed a challenge for me because I rarely do layouts with multiple pictures. But I'm happy with what I came up with. Wala nga lang masyadong techniques na nagawa. TFL!

My First BG Gallery Layout!

A few days ago, I gave it a try to upload my BG layout for the first time at Basicgrey.com. I thought it was not accepted because I didn't receive any email from them until last saturday night when Issa called and Timi texted me that my layout was now at the BG gallery. I was super excited talaga! True enough when I opened my email, I found this message:

Rita Vergara"
Subject: Your idea gallery layout has been selected
From: "BasicGrey"

Congratulations, your layout has been selected to appear in our on-line
gallery at www.basicgrey.com! We appreciate your time and talent and
thank you for using BasicGrey papers and embellishments.

Sincerely,
The BasicGrey Team



This really made my day!

I came, I scrapped, I survived the Scrappinmoms Idol Challenge!

I have been so excited to post my scrappinmoms Idol challenge experience but was so busy at the clinic and for the past two days I was having a terrible stiff neck. But thanks to Liezl's Masahista, I'm up and about already.

I would say that the past 2 months of the Idol challenge has been one of the hardest but most exciting part of my scrapping experience so far. Never in my wildest dreams that I would be included in the Top 12 Finalists for the first ever SCRAPPINMOMS IDOL CHALLENGE! The "requirements or the lack of it" that they wanted for each round really tested my capability as a scrapper!

I was hesitant at first to join because it coincided with my peak months at the clinic but Joanne, who's so great at convincing made me give it a shot. With her famous quote - "to try is to test your own capabilities, to attempt is your own personal challenge, and to win is icing on the cake!" Sino ba naman makakahindi nyan diba? I didn't win but for me, parang nanalo na rin ako. Just to be seated next to those ladies whom I admire so so much was like receiving a trophy already!

To my fellow finalists Au,Cookie,Cabbie Jane,Issa, Nita, Tin, Darlene, Lee, Cors, Diane and Mia, It was an honor to have met you! Sayang lang that because of our tensions we never got to chat longer. Maybe in the next EB's we can get to know each other more!Congratulations to all of you! Beautiful layouts ladies!

Before I end this Post, I would like to thank the Scrappinmoms- Joanne, April, Sienna, Liza, Pia, Ria and Iris for a fantastic job!Keep up the good work. If it were not for your group, we wont have had the chance to experience all this. Thank you very much!

Let me just share with you my layouts for each round. TFL!

My Goodies from Scrapbook Hawaii & MLA!

Last saturday, Liezl, Chiqui and I went to My Little attic's "Open House". We were one of the first to arrive and so we had the first chance of savoring all of Nenettes' stash! Grabe! Ang dami daming magaganda! I am so happy that finally I was able to buy a corner adorner which I have been longing to buy for a long time! We really had fun going through all the papers and embellishments. I think I hoarded again! (So what's new? Hehehe!) Thanks Nenette and Marissa! Take a peek at my scrabooking goodies! Yummy!

I'm In The Top 12!

Yipeee!I made it to the Top 12 of the Scrappin Mom's Idol Challenge! Each of the weekly challenges were really difficult and it got harder as the weeks progressed. But all those sleepless nights was worth it. Thank you scrappin moms for hosting this challenge! Ang galing nyo mag isip ng ipapagawa sa amin!I could say that my scrapping style improved because of this event. So again thank you Scrappin Moms! And to my fellow finalists, good luck to all of Us! See you at the scrapfest!

My Scrapping Journey

My Actual journey to scrapbooking started in September 2006 when my sister-in-law Helga taught me a the basics in scrapbooking. Although I started scrapbooking in 2004 when I gave birth to my son but at that time I was not using acid-free materials and I didn't know any technique yet. It was mainly a "cut and paste" thing. But I was eager to learn more about this new craft so Helga introduced me to the LB Scrapaholics - Liezl, Issa, Cors and Timi which I had an instant liking. Parang" Love at first sight" kung baga (hehehe!). 

I started joining their sessions and they were really very accomodating in teaching me the different techniques of scrapbooking. I had my first experience of attending a scrapfest in September 2006 and grabe! Naloka ako! If before Happy na ako sa nabibili sa National Bookstore, eh sa scrapfest TOTAL ECSTACY! Panic buying to the max ginawa ko! Since then I would say I became a certified scrapaholic already. Ang advantage ko was that my mentors were very talented at magaling magturo kaya natuto ako kaagad.
In 2007, This marked the year that I joined Challenges. The first ever challenge I joined was the My Little Attic - We R Memory Keepers challenge. I did not win but I think I was the happiest person among the contestants! Why? Well, it was the first time in my life that something I did could be seen in the internet and can be viewed by everyone! Ang babaw ng kaligayahan ko no? (hehehe!) Here's my entry.

My next stop in this journey was the scrapmeet 3 in March of 2007. I joined their "Valerie Salmon Sketch Challenge" and to my surprise, I was a runner up! Grabe! Naiiyak talaga ako sa tuwa! I went up the stage together with Liezl who was also a runner up!



I was walking on air for a week! I think even my husband, Ryan, was so proud of me that he was bragging my win to his officemates! After that Recognition, I heard Liezl say that I can now be officially inducted as a member of the LB Scarapaholics! Kailangan daw kasi may award muna bago maging member! Hehehe!
And so goes on my scrapbooking, join ng join pa rin ako ng mga challenges. I liked joining kasi 1st I get to challenge myself also to try new techniques and styles and 2nd is by joining challenges, I create deadlines for myself to finish a number of layouts per month and also reduce my backlog(which I have lots and lots!) And talagang super lucky naman ako na some of my work gets recognized! Pati husband ko nakahiligan na rin itong hobby ko that he becomes a part of every layout na rin. You see, the subject of almost all my layouts is my son Gian. But both me and ryan conceptualize the layout. He also helps in editing my journal. He even paid for my sizzix sidekick machine! Thanks my Love! Here are my Layouts that won or got recognmized.



This Past two months I became very busy when I joined my greatest challenge ever - "THE SCRAPPIN' MOMS iDOL " Thought I wouldn't be able to meet the deadlines because Aug and Sept are also my peak months at the clinic. Being a Pediatric Pulmonologist by profession, medyo these months are my busiest coz its also "Asthma Season". I thank God for giving me the strength to be able to do all these things at the same time. I thank Ryan and Gian who were very understanding these past 8 weeks. I thank my kasambahay Jona for watching over gian on those nights when I would work on my LOS until the wee hours of the morning so I can meet the deadline. And most especially I thank Liezl, Issa, Timi, Cors and Helga for your help and support during the idol challenge. Mas lalo tayong naging close because of this challenge and I believe our love for each other grew to another level these past weeks! D lang tayo friends kundi parang true bloodied sisters that looked out for each other during this very important segments of our scrapping life. I know this relationship we have will be forever because all of us are sincere with our feelings for one another. Wala sa vocabulary natin ang inggit. Its always "all for one and One for All"!

Meet my Family!

I've been happily married to Ryan for twelve years now (we just celebrated our anniversary last Sept.16) but it took us eight years to finally have a child. His name is Gian Paolo and he's three years old now. He's simply handsome, adorable, malambing, smart that despite his being sooooo makulit, all your anger will be gone when he gives you a hug or a kiss. Meet the men in my life!

Welcome to my Blog!

It's been a few weeks now since I've created my blog. But I never got around to post anything yet. With this blog, I hope I can share with you my life's happenings and updates on my scrapbooking.

I would like to give special mention to Issa Lucido and Diane Miraballes for helping me out in creating this blog.

So welcome everyone to my blog!