Answered prayer.. this is it!

I have posted on our blog that I won a tiffany ring from Vgem during the W@w Christmas party. I can say that it is an answered prayer since I have been bugging Christian to give me a ring... an engagement type of ring.. Hahahaha... nagging well not nagging but hinting on him to give me one for a long time about it and at the same time praying to God to whisper to Christian that it will really matter for me to have one.

Well God answered my prayer... I picked up the ring at Vgem's shop at Robinson's Galleria and it is beautiful... it is just small for my ring finger. I will go back this Sunday with Christian to have it resize. The gift certificate said that it includes after-sale services like resizing and cleaning for free. I just hope that it will be free. If not, we are willing to pay for it since we got it for no price to pay at all. hehehehe!!!

Nice right!?! Simple yet elegant...

Dinner with friends & the CAR

Last Saturday, me and my UP Solair friends had our pre-Christmas dinner at the Marriott Hotel. Sofitel's Spiral was fully booked beyond the meaning of fully booked... Imagine 100 persons on the waiting list!!! So we ended up at the buffet at the new Marriott Hotel! Swanky swanky it is... That is why our group is called elitist! Hahahaha!! Too bad Christian was not able to join us that night.

After devouring all the food that we can manage, we went to the bar and drank. I just had one cocktail cause it is really expensive! hahahaha! Frozen Strawberry margarita.. yummmy! We just sit at the balcony of the hotel and talked as the night went on!

Butch, one of our ninongs, offered us a ride to the nearest taxi terminal. We were on our way to his new car that he offered to be my bridal car and then I just stopped as he open the driver's door! Man oh man.. It is beautiful white very white .... Ford Expedition parked in front of me! I was like clapping and my jaw just dropped... It is really stunning! I told Matt that this is my bridal car and he said that it will be a first for him to see a SUV as a bridal car! I am so lucky... another freebie... less expense! God must really want us to wed in His church!

I don't have any camera with me so I just browse online to grab a photo!


Sweet right?!?

Tradition anyone???

As part of any wedding traditions, there are the SOMETHINGS... --- the old --- the new --- the blue --- borrowed Let's start with the old. As I posted before, we will be using my parents' arrae. It is made up of 13 1970's 50 centavo coins. Those were the times that they made the coins very heavy and thick, making our arrae really heavy. My mom have them plated again to get the shiny shimmering look and she even have our names engraved. I really wanted to have the unity coins but since this one is for free... I went with the free one.

Something new... this is a no brainer... new shoes, new dress, new contact lenses for sure, new hubby and new life as Mrs. Quiambao..hahahahaha... lahat naman new eh... so no problems on this one....

Now for the something blue.... I guess my wedding shoes will pass as something blue??!?!? Hehehehe.. It is blue green... But i want to have something really blue.. baby blue.. royal blue... bondi blue... aqua blue... hmmmm ... too many shades of blue to choose from. I am now in the look out for flat shoes and hoping that it will either be blue or green. Think! Think! Think! Or I can have my underwear as blue! LOL!!!!

Borrowed... hmmm.. what shall I borrow? who i can borrow it from??? just keep thinking thinking... I guess i have to borrow my mom's jewelry... an earring perhaps since i don't own any...

2009 W@w xmas party --- Fun Fun Fun

Last night, 27 November 2009 at Blue Leaf Pavilion, me and Christian attended the W@w Christmas party! I have been waiting for this night for over a night. I have filed my leave more than one month ago just to be at the event and it just fall on the day after Thanksgiving so it means long weekend for me!

The party gave an opportunity for me to meet my co-w@wies...putting faces behind the names and email addresses. The night was filled with laughter, food and booze!!! The annual W@w party is the time to name the supplier of the year. They first named the top five --- Kaye of K by Cunanan (catering), Atty. Raymund Fortun (photography), Elmer of Rejectcrew (lights and sounds), Ms. Jet of Josiah's (catering) and Jayson & Joanne Arquiza (photography). As the night went on, they named the supplier of the year.... and who else it is... Atty. Raymund Fortun. He certainly deserves it. I never expected for him to be so humble! He is definitely not the person who I commonly see on TV with his legal work...
Since I always get starstruck with lawyers and politicians, Christian told me to take my picture taken with him and of course I did get that!

W@w Top 5 Suppliers!

Atty. Fortun receiving his Supplier of the Year Award - with his team

Me & Atty. Fortun -- now we really have to get our prenuptial shoot with him!

No xmas party will be complete with games. The games were so much fun! There was even a game that will have all the w@wies try on 9 pairs of shoes from Solea and Veluz! I missed that one though because me and to other sisses --- Pinky and Elaine, got our surprise for Ms. Benz. Too bad... I love shoes! But Christian said to leave it since we won one game already! The game's mechanics is to name the most number of attendees in the venue and since I handled the registration for the party I pledged to name 20. Guess what we got!?!?? Guess??? GUess??? a gift certificate for a tiffany solitaire ring worth 12,000 pesos from vgem!!! Yes, a ring! 12,000 pesos for that! Since I have been hinting Christian to give me an engagement ring and I guessed God finds a way for me to get it! Speaking of gifts, me and the w@wies have been cooking up the gift for ms. benz for more than 3 weeks... Camille of Fab Occasions gave us the idea and we just delivered it..

The GC... hehehehe...

Ms.Benz with Sir John and Lil Kite opening w@wies' gift

The night is also suppliers galore of the best of the best wedding suppliers. It is really a night of gathering of soon to weds and their suppliers or future suppliers! Of course, present that night is our now photographers and videographers. I was shocked when they approached me to congratulate that we won the bid for their wedding coverage. I am speechless. Too bad Chug Cadiogan left early.. no photo-op opportunity with him! But then, this is simply worth noting!

Phoeben Teocson at work

The Jason Magbanua hosting the show with RJ Ledesma

Me with Paul, Jayson and Phoeben -- I am speechless! This really made my night!!!!

Me and co-w@wies taking our photo with Jason M.

The night is really fun... one for the books!

Taking our group picture!

Me and Ms. Benz

we are changing our wedding date... 15 APRIL 2010 ... it is!

Yes you read it right.. we are moving our wedding to a day earlier... Christian just cannot wait a day to marry me... hehehehe!!!

Seriously why???? Well..... We have won the bidding for a photo-video coverage from the best photographers and videographers in the wedding industry. Imagine... Paul Vincent, Jayson Arquiza, Phoeben Teocson and Chug Cadiogan. I just cannot believe it. It came at a time that I am really looking for another photo-video supplier after I received an email from a fellow w@wie bride about her experience with the supplier that we earlier reserved.

Chug Cadiogan... videographer!

Jayson Arquiza ... photographer!

Paul Vincent ... Photographer

Phoeben Teocson - Videographer!
(all photos grabbed from their Facebook accounts! hehehehe)

I think it is meant to be since I bid on it even though we already have a supplier I tried to watch for this item on the W@w auction. I am hoping that we will have nice wedding pictures and videos. I remember said that I should get a nice videographer since she wants to see my wedding day! But then, we cannot afford the rates of the respected videographers.... I just prayed hard that we will be able to get it! Luckily, we won the bid.... Check out the sites of our suppliers for you to know why I am so happy!

Miscommunication occurred.. but that was settled.. with us moving our wedding date earlier... as I said Christian just cannot wait a day to marry me!!!

DIY # 2: Secondary candles and the infamous matches

I have listed previously all the DIY projects that I need to accomplish for our wedding. I have finished with two so far.. I actually made them a few weeks ago, this is the only time that I have to upload the pictures. First, our secondary candles... What we did is, we bought two candles from Divisoria just before All Soul's Day... since we were buying candles for our dead love ones, we also got the wedding candles as well... I just told Christian that I will make it pretty nice.... So with the candles, I got some lace... some blings from the ever-dependable National Bookstore! Glue gun it and voila... Our secondary candles... we will not have a unity candle since.... hmmm.. i don't like it!

I created a small box for the finish candle since I know that we were moving... I don't want the bling to come out...

Green and blue... nice nice nice... I like the embellishments that I found in National Bookstore... Still have to make the other one... hehehehe

Costing of this project:

• Candles ------------ 30 each - 60
  
• Lace --------------- 20 each - 40
• Embellishments ---------------- 90

TOTAL: 180 pesos

The price that I got it for is definitely cheaper than the ones I saw in the mall. I also don't like the puffy materials and flower flowers....

When there are candles, there should be matches to light them up. When one W@w sis shared her find about this good looking matches from Rustan's, everybody headed off to the nearest Rustan's in their area. I got one myself during our meeting with Sheryl from Sheah Designs (own gown supplier!). I like it as well since it is cheap and it really looks chic
because of the demask facing! It is simple fabulous!!!

I have some blings for this one, just haven't got the time to start it again!

It really does look good beside our candles!

Costing of this project:

• matches ------------ 59.00 each - 118
  
• Lace --------------- - 0 - since I got them for the candles als
  
• Embellishments ---------------- - 25

TOTAL: 143 pesos

The matches is pricey compared to the other local matches that we have but it does not come on this size and the packaging also is really different!

Trinoma's Sale... A Reason to get Wedding Stuff

After moving in our new house and fixing some of our things, I headed off to Trinoma with my mom to meet my sister. It was a sale day in the mall and I don't want to miss the opportunity to check out what they have.

We first check Gourdo's since I wanted to check out the store if it is worth to register for their Bridal registry. My mom and I went around the small space that they have and my mom went gaga over the baking paraphernalia that they have --- the Wilton stuff... I remember the days that my mom was really crazy over them! I just rode along with her since I am really more than a cook than a baker! I decided to check out the some of the small boxes and candles.. but wait.. something caught my eye... and I said YES!! This is it... I saw the cake topper that we wanted. I had a first glimpsed of it online and showed it to Christian and we both loved it! Here it is...

It is a candle actually but we will just remove the wick... I love Cosmo and Wanda of the Fairly Oddparents! Christian likes it to after I introduced him to them... I was jumping up and down at Gouro's when I saw them.. We were actually wishing to have a Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy one but this is awesome. It was on sale also... It was for 80.00 pesos ... yes folks... eighty pesos!!! Love it!


After getting the item... we headed off to search for my sister. We passed by some shops to check out some ties for Christian but that failed. So we went to the shoe stores, since it was a sale day, I might stumble on the shoes that I want for a bargain... Lo and behold.. at Janylin's window, I saw the pair that I want with the color that is perfect... Blue green! a mix of our colors... hehehehe!!! I love it.. love it ... love it!!! It is also at 10% off...

Just don't want to take it out of the box! I might be tempted to wear it during W@w's Christmas party.

I like the smell of new shoes...

Nice right??? Can I handle the heels??? Hmmm.. let's wait and see....

Just want to wear it already!

Just can't stop taking pictures of it... I actually wore them today at home.. walking around! Christian warned me not to fall down because of it during our wedding. He knows that I am not used to wearing heels. I told him that I will only wear it during the ceremony and will change to another pair for our reception.. Hahaha... so my shoe hunting is not yet over!

our new home

After having some problems with our landlady, we decided to search for a new home. We were able to find one that is somewhat still near my workplace and near from our old house. It is way smaller than the previous one but the rent is reasonably cheap and definitely lower than the other one.

We officially move last 14 November, Saturday. Straight from our respective shifts, we finalized all the packing that we can and hauled all our stuff on the rented truck. I never imagined that we will fill one truck with our stuff. In a span of a year and five months, we never realized that we have acquired a lot of house stuff!!! I was scared that it will not fit the new home that we are moving into... My mom helped us also on our move.. Thank you mommy!!! She fixed our bed and the curtains while we unpack some of the boxes. She even brought us some food! Yehey!!!

We moved all our stuff and arranged it in a matter of 3 hours... It was fast! That will include the cleaning time as well. I was just exhausted especially Christian since we both came from our night shifts... However, I still went with my mom to Trinoma since the mall was having a sale at that time and the 13th month bonus was just credited. Hehehehe!!!

After a week in our new home, I took some snapshots of the house since I also documented the old house that we have. I just wished that we stay her for a longer period of time. I told Christian that the next time that we are moving, it will be our own house already... enough with renting and pain in neck landlords!

There are 8 other tenants in the compound including our landlord. The place is really clean that's why we decided to get this house

The hallway slash living room.. it leads to our small kitchen...

Well there is no dining room as you can see our old table is folded, we just take it out when it is time to eat. Can you see the small stove that we have on the right corner? We are still thinking of buying a stand for it and take out the wooden bench outside to have more space.

Our sofa... and see the box on the corner.. that is our christmas tree waiting to be opened and dolled up...

Our small room.. and my study table... really small compared to our old house..

Changes.. changes .. changes. I am scared of what will be the next change that we will have.

Looking for the right shoes

Since I am on the heavy side, I am more of a shoes-person than a dress person. I am now on the hunt for the best looking pair of chartreuse green or aqua blue shoes! Whenver me and Christian will go to the mall, I make sure to take peek on the shoe stores that we pass through, looking out for the hint of green or blue on the display but I cannot find anything. It is mostly black, white or beige. I want my shoes to stand out and be the picture perfect shoes that they can be. Hahahaha....

I told Christian that my last resort is to have them custom-made... So I sat in-front of the PC and google my way to search the nice looking shoes that I found. I ended up with some nice ones.

I got this photo to reference the type of green that I am after. I just love the color of it!

Too bad, this photo does not show the side of the shoe... I can picture it in chartreuse and aqua...

This one is nice too...

I am still not sure though whether I want an open toe pair or get something closed but with a pointed tip... Hmmmm... Girls just really love their shoes. Since I am not really good with high heels, I am only looking for flat shoes for the reception... mary jean ones to be exact...

This printed ones are really really cool... Something I can still use after the wedding.

Rugged look...

Buying green crocs will be nice also.....

I just can't wait to find the perfect pair... If I find it I know it will be the one!

w@w annual auction.. xmas party!

Christmas Party 2009

The 2009 W@W Christmas Party
Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, November 27

by invitation only ---- and we are invited!!!!!

I cannot wait for the w@w Christmas party. I always tell Christian that good thing that W@w has a Christmas party that I can attend since our company will not have one again this year. The only Christmas party I get a chance to go to is my barkada's dinner and that is it! Boring!!!

Aside from the party, the other thing that I am excited about is the annual auction of the community. Several wedding suppliers donate their services that will be auctioned online! Ms. Benz, the owner of w@w, already sent out the lists of items to be auctioned.. including the much coveted Veluz and Cecilio Abad's gown at really good prices... which we cannot still afford and with my body type I guess I will not do justice to their creations!!!! However, I still got my eyes on two or three items from the list... and they are:

• Bride's bouquet with lily of the valley flowers ... with a value of 6000 pesos...
  

I already blogged about it this flower that Christian really likes. The value is still high for flowers but I am optimistic that God will provide me this one at a much lower cost. Well, it all depends on the bids of my co-w@wies! Keeping my fingers cross!

• Atty. Raymond Fortun's engagement pictorial.. value at 5000 pesos!
  

I really really wanted to have our photos taken by Atty. Fortun (view his work by clicking on the link) but unfortunately he does not have open bookings for April since it is his sabbatical month. When I inquired, he said that April is his time to be with his family and rest from legal work! Too bad I say but having our pre nuptials taken by him is another route but since we are really short with the budget. I placed his prenup under our nice-to-have list together with the onsite video from Threelogy! With this auction, this will be our chance to have it! I hope we have a BIG chance!

The W@w christmas party will be really something... This is my chance to dress up. I might even have a trial make up done just to have an excuse to be all glammed up!

in search of a new home... my angst against my landlady!

Some things are too good to last...

We need to vacate our current home. We really love it since it is cozy and big enough for the two of us. The rent is quite high for two individuals like us but the space that we have compensates for the rent that we pay monthly. We stuck with it since we have the privacy that we want. But then, some things are not made to last specially if you are just renting. Our landlady told us that she and her family wanted to move in the space that we are renting due to the recent infamous Ondoy storm! She said that they got flooded in Malabon... In my mind, isn't Malabon always flooded?!?!? Well, she keeps on saying that it is not sure yet since she needs to get the funds to build the proper house for her and her family. She already went to our place with an architect and some of her relatives. I know she has the right to do that but she will not give us a definite date when she wants us out. She keeps on saying that she will give us two months to move out and we can use our deposit to pay for the months that we are looking for a new space. We told her that we don't want to stay for two months since we want to use the deposit to move to a new place.

After she informed us that we need to move soon, me and Christian started to search for a new place. We found one but lost it since the $$@#$@#g landlady will not reply to my text messages about when can we get the deposit! We have to call her to inquire and when we checked out the place again the signage is already gone! Bummer!!!! She then called us up begging us to stay until January 15, 2010 since she will have a hard time looking for a tenant that will rent out the place in two months! Imagine barely 3 months before our wedding... Saying that it will not be very near our wedding date! Whatthaf.#$!!!! Well, we then decided to give it a chance since we love the place too much and it is really hard to look for a decent place around our area.

But today!!!! GRRRRR!!!! I am still fuming thinking about it! Our landlady went again to check the place out and said to give her until the weekend to decide if she is really sure! I just nodded... After she left, I told Christian that maybe we should really look for a place and just leave before the 15th! I no longer have patience to wait for the decision of the landlady. I don't care if she will not have any income for two months. We bought a buy & sell magazine and we were able to look at some places and found one that we actually like! We are now in the process of paying for the deposit... When we informed our landlady, she called us up and said... "didn't I tell you to give me a week to decide?" OMG.. Here we go again! I told her we paid the downpayment already even if we have not just to close the discussion!

Now we are in the process of moving house! I guess it is part of the wedding rituals but it should happen after the wedding... We just did it first before saying the I Dos.

weddings at work.. w@wie... proud to be a w@w bride!

I have the tag. I have the pin. I always put it on the bag that I carry even though that I change bags almost everyday. The actual strap of the bag tag broke already so I have to take the one from Christian's tag.. hehehe... People will ask what is it for.. I will simply reply ... W@w (read as wowee) !!! It is a Philippine bride's guide to an easier and smarter way of preparing for their wedding. It is an online resource of suppliers and tips about the ins and outs of the essential Filipino wedding.

It has an e-group community of future brides to be (b2b in w@w speak) and also some recently married w@w brides. Ever since I joined the group, I am so hooked to it. I am officially a w@w addict.. more addicted to it that my facebook account! I really learn tons of stuff from DIYs to saving for the wedding. There are exchanges of ideas and sharing of stories, not to mention the several vent outs about the ins and outs of preparations. I see the point of the group... There are no other people who will understand a bride to be except for another bride to be. Personally, I don't want to bombard my friends about my wedding preps. I like pouring it out at the community and of course on this wedding blog. I don't care if nobody reads my blog... hehehehe... I have this blog to document everything.

W@w makes it easier to voice out....

W@w tag... pin and wedding primer...

Seeing Chartreuse Green and Aqua Blue

We went out last Sunday to hear mass at Mt. Carmel in New Manila. Since it was early to go straight to the church, we decided to get off near the Nestle Ice Cream Shop along Aurora Blvd. It is the same place where then Magnolia Ice Cream House stood. It is the place that we usually when I was young to get our ice cream fix and buy the infamous dry-ice! When we got in, I noticed the walls match the color motif that we have for our wedding. What strikes me is that both of our colors are on the walls.... even on the menu. I told Christian to check it out and he is really cool about it.

After finishing our ice creams and headed off to the church to discover that the next mass is at 5 PM, we just went to Cubao and agreed to hear mass on our own parish. While walking around Araneta Center, I noticed that the building of SM also have some chartreuse green and aqua accents. I just cannot believe it as if I am seeing our motif all around me. I can remember one time I saw the same color on a girl's dress on TV. The colors are all of a sudden present all the time.

I know I am being paranoid but it is just a coincidence.

Flowers... flowers.. flowers!

I am not the type of girl who likes flowers. Christian only gave me one piece of rose during our first Valentine's day together. He believes that it is a waste of money! Even though I gave him several hints to buy me just one bouquet for a change but no flowers came. I am not bitter or mad about it, I understand his philosophy about flowers. Now our wedding is almost less than 6 months, I have no idea what flowers to get for my bouquet or the centerpieces flowers or the entourage flowers... I am definitely clueless!

One flower supplier emailed me their rates. It is reasonable but I don't have an idea of what the flowers are. I heard about tulips, roses, carnations and mums but when I inquired about her on getting green flowers are my wedding bouquet, she gave types of flowers I haven't heard before! Cymbidiums for one. I forgot the others since I accidentally deleted the text message but I have to google the flowers to see what they look like. So far I like the cymbidiums and that's why it got stuck in my mind but honestly I have to google again the spelling of the name to get it right. I like the shade of green it has and bunch up with a white flower will definitely be nice.

Originally, I wanted a hand-tied bouquet of white calla lillies since it has a green stalk. Christian wanted the lily of the valley. So to give in to his suggestions, I searched online for suppliers of it and they cost a lot!!!! Their price is per stem for crying out loud!!! 25000 pesos for 100 stems... it will only be a small bouquet since on Martha Stewart weddings, it will be best to use 250 stems! I told Christian the price and he said to just use sampaguita since it has the same color and shape! Sampaguita is a local flower in the Philippines. I have collected some photos online of nice bridal bouquets with green and white flowers. I wanted to have green flowers and blue fillers but I guess it is rare to have blue flowers here unless you want a white flower dyed blue... which I think is not picture perfect!

This is the too expensive lily of the valley... 25000 pesos hmmmm...

Green cymbidiums... nice!

with calla lilies