Thursday, January 06, 2011

craving Filipino food??

I remember Max's Restaurant as a kid. I remember their cheesy commercial tag line "sarap to the bones" so yes, when we heard they're opening a branch in Toronto, we were more than excited. I think we were more thrilled about the idea of having something so similar to what we were used to back then. We were one of the many Filipinos who came to visit their restaurant on opening day. Anyway, I cannot tell you if their Toronto branch is up to par with the original Max's restaurant since I honestly don't remember what they used to taste like. But don't worry, in a few more days, I'll be able to compare haha ;) Anyway, try the nilagang baka. It's quite tasty =)

taken from a random site through Google images.
1520 Steeles Avenue West Vaughan, ON L4K 3B9



Here's A. Telling people to come and eat at Max's haha. Babe, the food is here =P




Don't forget the Calamansi Juice =)

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

blah blah

I guess I'm supposed to be packing, and folding these....

But instead I'm doing this....
Okay, fine fine! Enough procrastination! I can't help it if the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "day off" is watch movies!

How's your afternoon?

By the way, remember this?? Redpath Sugar is giving away a signed copy of Bakerella's Cake Pops book. Wouldn't that be awesome??? If you're interested in joining this contest, click on this link to visit their Facebook page for the details. 

    Photo from Redpath Sugar's Facebook Page

time machine

I may already have a post with the same title, but what the hey =) I am still up after finishing my last night shift for January (Mind you, I did six nights in a row and I survived!). Yup, lucky me, no work until February! If you haven't already heard, we will be away the whole month of January as we will be visiting the beautiful islands of the Philippines! (I suddenly felt like a contestant in a beauty contest hehe) It's been almost ten years since my last visit, and A hasn't been for about eleven years as well so no doubt,  it will be a very interesting trip. 

The idea of going back has been on my mind for awhile. The last time I was there, I didn't get to see  many of my classmates and friends even though I was there for almost 10 weeks. I was 19 and was in a completely different state of mind. I was lonely and heartbroken. I remember thinking, how different it would be had I been in a different situation, older and travelling with someone I love and care about. Who knew that this day would come?

So, I'm sort of planning to reunite with these people. This picture was taken in 1996 I believe, back when we were 13 or 14 years old. So it will be almost 14 years since I saw some of them. Yikes haha. I only say this because, though I'm so excited to see them all again, I feel much older and not at all like my old self =P My school years in the Philippines were among the best and most significant years of my life.  I think if I didn't have that to compare it to, I wouldn't appreciate the things I went through as much as I do now. I remember having a hard time adjusting to high school life here. I would eat my lunch in the library to avoid social interaction. I was quite anti-social and felt very much like an outcast. But these people were there for me in many ways and were like my own brothers and sisters. They made me feel like I belonged. And for that, they would always hold a special place in my heart. 


I guess I better start packing. I'm trying very hard not to bring so much stuff, as I know, everything back there will be so much cheaper. We might not bring along our tech toys so although, there's plenty of wifi and internet, I may not be able to update for awhile (since I'd rather spend time on the beach than attempt to find an internet cafe of some sort). We will be taking tons of pictures I'm sure, and hopefully do some island hopping at some point. I can hardly contain my excitement!

By the way, if you can guess where I am in this picture, I might bring you a very special prize all the way from the Philippines! I don't know what it is yet, but it will be something cute and amazing. Oh and those of you who already know the answer is automatically disqualified, so don't even try cause I know who you are =P hehehe. Guess away! Keep joining these contests because we're feeling very generous this year. I have a hunch it will be a great year for all of us =)

Monday, January 03, 2011

happy new year!

The holidays, just like any get together, were eventful and a little crazy. I'm sure you all have pretty similar experiences. Although the events of weeks past made me appreciate even more the importance of living the moment. The significance of now. 

Sometimes, we get to caught up in planning ahead and thinking about how happy we can get (how beautiful the future looks) that we forget about how we feel right at this moment, this second -- which could all be gone before you know it. More than ever, I feel grateful for what I have and don't have. Because the things I don't have, makes me appreciate the things I do have even more.  

I am afraid though, that in time, instead of appreciating, I might learn to forget. And that's why photographs of memories are so significant. I always tell A how we should take more pictures of everyday things, because sometimes, these are the moments that count. These are the moments we'd love to go back to every now and again, just as much as we'd love remembering specific details of our travels here and there. That was the main idea when I started photographing the food I made at home, and all the crafts I do, the successes and the failures. I often wish I was better though, at putting things together, the way I used to before. This is the same reason I still keep the journals of my past. They remind me of those significant moments and milestones. The ones I hold in my heart so dearly. The heartaches I've survived. The scars that made me who I am. 

So in light of reflection, this year, I'd like to take more photos of everyday things. A has an eye for seeing the beauty of things in so many different perspectives and angles. And so, just like everything else, we will be doing this together as well. We'll take more photowalks. We'll plan more picnics. Hopefully we'll capture more moments worth remembering, the good or the bad. 

I'm ending this post with this photograph because it was, and will always be, one of my favorite memories.

Happy New Year. From my family to yours, may you have a prosperous and blissful year. 

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

holiday gift giving

The holiday season had been busy and eventful, hence, the absence of blog postings. Anyway, amidst the chaos, I want to share a few of the crafts created this holiday season.
The traditional shortbread cookies. For recipe, click here!
I love the idea of DIY boxes, so I made use of fancy scrapbook paper to make this boxes using templates I found online. Click here for some of the awesome DIY box templates!

A Christmas cupcake order for an expecting couple. Indeed, the best Christmas gift ever!


I also made accessories for my girl friends.

These were wrapped in cute packages, like this =)


 By the way, I'm giving you guys a chance to win one of these cute necklaces. Just tell me which one of these you'd like to win and a winner will be chosen at random on February 6, 2010. The winner will be announced at noon on Feb 7th. Join now!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Adrian and Jana Photography Ultimate 2011 Giveaway!!

As a "Thank You" to all of you who have supported Adrian and Jana Photography, we are giving you an opportunity to win big in 2011! We will be giving away a $150 Tiffany and Co. gift certificate to be drawn on our wedding anniversary on June 8, 2011. All brides who have booked their 2011 wedding are automatically entered into the draw. Even if you are not getting married, there are still a couple of ways to win this amazing prize! To enter this contest:

1. Book a photo session with Adrian and Jana Photography in 2011 (portrait, lifestyle, engagement or wedding) before June 7, 2011. 
2. Refer a friend to us! If your recommended friend books a session with Adrian and Jana Photography, you are automatically entered in the draw, just like the friend you referred!

The more friends you refer, the more chances of winning!

Remember, Contest ends June 7th, 2011! Enter now!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

photo goodies!

Sorry, sorry for the few updates! Feeling really bogged down by all the holiday madness! How are you doing??

My friend Kate D. showed me this link which is currently my favorite site for awesome photo goodies.  Click on this and see the beautiful stuff the Photojojo store offers! I mean, look at this cute instant camera from Fujifilm!


 Love, love, love this bowler style camera bag!!

                           

Friday, December 03, 2010

free holiday templates and icons!

Dryicons have plenty of pre-made holiday vectors, icons and templates for your holiday cards. Check out the site by clicking on the link. Enjoy! =)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

free gift labels!

Christmas is around the corner and I'm sure you'll be needing these soon! Check out these free gift labels from Martha Stewart!

more free invitation templates!

Download and print is offering free invitation templates on their website along with more gorgeous invitation designs you can purchase for a reasonable price. Visit this link to view more of their amazing invitation templates!
Thanks Download and Print for these amazing freebies!

Friday, November 19, 2010

free invitation templates =)

Check out these free invitation templates from Love and Lavender. Yes, I said free! FREE! What are you waiting for??? Click here now!



Reblogged from iDIY

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Up themed party

I discovered Hostess with the Mostess while searching for party ideas and let me tell you how amazing this blog is. It not only features amazing party ideas, she also shows step by step tutorials to planning beautiful themed parties. (I only have praise for this blog, you see) Anyway, I am sooo in love with the details of this event. An Up-themed party! Click on the picture to be redirected to the Hostess blog! Can you imagine what an Up-themed wedding would look like??? How much do you love that cake? Share your thoughts!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

food trip

Have you tried President's Choice's Red Velvet Cheesecake? Anyway, we were grocery shopping and we found this in the freezer section. Looks promising, huh?
Looks amazing from the side too...
It's cheesecake good, but is it red velvet good? I'm not sure... It's a good dessert either way and for only $10.00. It matched perfectly with my lemon green tea =)

We also made a trip to the latest burger craze in Toronto. The Burger's Priest. It's making such a buzz, we wanted to try if it's as good as everybody says it is. Of course, the breaded portobello mushroom reminded me of the heavenly shack stack burger from Shake Shack. Looks promising too...
The verdict: 4 stars out of 5. I gotta say, the crunchy fried mushroom with cheese was a tasty bonus though somehow, I remember Shake Shack's burger as being tastier than the beef that came with this burger. I could be wrong since it's been awhile since I had a shack stack. Overall, it's still good burger and I'd probably come back and buy from them again. Good job, The Burger's Priest!

bakerella is coming to toronto!

Bakerella is coming to Toronto!!!

Bakerella is one of my favorite bloggers and definitely a baking inspiration. Of course, my version of cupcake pops are nothing like hers, I mean, just look at these cute heart-nosed sheep!

Here are the details of her visit:

Williams-Sonoma
Saturday, December 4 th at 12:00 p.m.
100 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON

images from Google seach


Friday, November 12, 2010

Leilannah

Our easiest and most natural client yet. Look at those cheeks =)




 

Ann and Jamie

We wanted to shoot by the airport to incorporate Ann and Jamie's long distance love. After an interesting (and short!) ferry ride to Toronto's island airport, we found picturesque spots that also featured Toronto's beautiful skyline. Ann and Jamie came prepared and colour coordinated to show the motif for their spring wedding. We're hoping to do a Jersey themed shoot for their next session.

Thanks August Empress for the cool background!