Happy New Year!

"Life is always changing, yet as we move into 2012 there’s one thing you can count on that never changes – the law of attraction! It’s your best friend - loyal, unbending, truthful, and it will never fail you. Whatever you think, say, and feel, comes back to you every single time! So bring glory, joy, and abundance to yourself and every other person with a good heart and a positive mind! Happy New Year!" – Rhonda Byrne, Author of The Secret

kingwallpapers.com

The Happiest, Star-Studded Memory Ever

Photo lifted from: http://blogs.greenville.edu/students/2010/12/01/the-observatory/

I will never forget October 31, 2011---while most people were probably out hopping from one Halloween party to the next, or visiting cemeteries, Cy and I, with our closest couple friends stayed in a farm, and literally slept underneath the stars. And for the first time in my life, I saw not one but TEN shooting stars.  There's no way to describe the feeling I had that night. It was just absolutely out of this world.

Photo lifted from:
http://1700louisiana.blogspot.com/2010/09/sleeping-under-stars.html

Unfortunately, we don't have any photos to capture this most special day of our lives--it was too dark, and I did not have the sense to bring my Lumix with me and dabble with the "starry night" function of my camera.

It all started when we were just curious if there were indeed a lot of stars that night. we climbed the roof-deck to do some star gazing. We were so overwhelmed with the view, that we suddenly just decided to be spontaneous and sleep underneath the stars.

So just imagine us, in an open-air roof deck of a 4-storey dormitory, where we laid out a makeshift bed made out of mattresses, blankets, and pillows, with some candles, and our ceiling consisted of a thousand stars. For the lack of better description and photos, the photos on your left would be the best way to "reenact" this night :)

Photo lifted from:
http://mysite.verizon.net/res8lg0q/anythingairbrushedart22/id14.html

The starry night was heavenly as it is--imagine seeing one shooting star after another. I literally didn't want to close my eyes. I couldn't believe that I was really sleeping in the open air and just being enveloped by so many stars. I felt small, but felt lucky to have witnessed a piece of heaven. I couldn't help but thank the Universe several times for what I witnessed, and I felt like meditating and contemplating about life and what it is really worth.

It is precious moments like this that make you think about life--and how shallow and petty it is to be spending your hours slaving away for big corporations, influencing people to buy products, spending hours working when you can be doing more important things like basking in the sun, appreciating nature, spending time with loved ones, stripped off of material things and shallow cares.  I'd give anything to break away from the rat race, don't you? And being in the presence of a thousand stars is where I will cull inspiration from--to strive for more days like this, instead of being engulfed by the daily grind.

The Spa - Richmond Hotel, Eastwood

Part Four of Cy's birthday festivities was a Red Wine scrub and massage at the Spa in Richmond Hotel, Eastwood. We've tried a lot of spa places already, and I must say that even if it's a little pricey, the Spa is still one of the best in Manila. The Villas at the Spa, High Street Bonifacio is just a real treat! But since the one in Eastwood is just a 3-minute walk from our place, it was good enough too :) Each the Spa building/branch has its own theme. The one in Eastwood is like a Grecian-inspired sanctuary.

Cy's Bday Chapter 3 - Farmville

Eating Philippine Apples at the Farm :)

Part Three

When our awesome couple friend Mica & Marc invited us to stay at Marc's parents' farm in Tanay, I was glad that we would still be able to do something new for Cy's birthday celebrations. I was really able to experiment and have fun with my Lumix for this trip, so I will keep the words to a minimum. So here's to the third part of Cy's birthday activities--farmville style :)

Cy's Bday Chapter Two - Hootie Patootie

Chapter Two

The morning of Cy's birthday, Taylor and I "conspired" while Cy was busy ordering from McDo's delivery hotline. With hushed voices, we tiptoed to the kitchen, got the hidden box of Krispy Kremes, lighted one of our scented candles (we didn't have a birthday candle) and got our giant card out!

Patio Vera Marikina

A Prologue

For those of you who have been reading my blog from way way back, you would remember that it's that time of the year for Cy's birthday and that each year, I try to make it a point to take him to a trip (Click here to read some of our birthday adventures: HERE, HERE AGAIN, and and HERE :). However for this year, the celebrations are a little bit low-key because we need to save. However, in the next few blog posts to come, you will see how his birthday was still made special--from another unique resto discovery in Marikina, to a simple sweet surprise with Taylor, to literally sleeping on a mattress in a roof deck--underneath a million stars, to a red wine scrub -- all of which make for great date ideas for all you couples out there and also makes for happy, happy memories in years to come.

Chapter 1

So let's start with the first birthday activity in which Cy's family treated us to dinner at Patio Vera--a charming house-turned restaurant tucked in the heart of Marikina.

Now before you start rolling your eyes because it's far off from your radar, just look at this place and you'll know that it's worth the trip.

Harry Potter Wedding Part Two

Disclaimer: I am merely re-posting the following pictures/info as lifted from Green Wedding Shoes. I do not have actual, direct correspondence with those who created these weddings. I'm just a fan who wants to share this to everyone else :)
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It's a long Halloween weekend and I'm curious to know where everybody is off to. So where are you off to? Cy and I are starting the celebrations with a family dinner, then a farm weekend getaway. This week is also Cy's birthday so hooray for that!

In celebration of the festivities, I wanted to blog about another Harry Potter wedding inspiration as lifted from one of my favorite wedding blogs, Green Wedding Shoes. I love the idea of making a sophisticated, rustic version of this otherwise fantasy wedding theme.

Here are some photos from the shoot, and to see more, visit the link HERE

Enjoy! :)