Friday, July 26, 2013

My Week in 10 Photos

T'was a busy but pleasant week for me and Grupo Santamaria.
Sharing with you some snapshots of the past few days, in random order:

we worked on 2 client presentations

always thinking about my trip to Paris in September
can't wait to do these walking tours when I get there

The UP Architectural Students Association of the Philippines 
did a tour of Grupo Santamaria for their "firm-hopping" activity.  
Although I still can't get over how 20-25 people fit in my office, we had FUN! 
To be blogged soon at Grupo Santamaria.


Was visited by these 2 dear friends...bringing heaps of good news with them!
*wink*wink*


Did some shopping for a returning Client...


...and for me!
(haha! Brought home this new frock from the Zara sale. 
A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do)



attended a Production Design talk by Leeroy New


visited a new job site in Alabang
(I can imagine the new house rising---a very good lot, with eucalyptus trees on one side) 


Meet Boulette (French for Meatball). 
I had to dog-sit for my friend Apol from La Pomme, now I don't want to return her anymore.


And the furniture-hunting continues.  



Work goes on, til next week, friends. 
:-) 


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Poolside Guest House

If you had an extra 30 or 40 square meters and could build a guest house on it, how would it look like?













I love everything about this place! Note: I wouldn't necessarily say this is how I want my own home to look like, it's a bit too frilly for me.  BUT I think it is perfect for a guest house by the pool (if you have one), or a farm house or weekend getaway on a tiny lot far away.  What I like best about this home is the very smart space layout where the kitchen and the charming little dining area is across each other.  You can see the space is small but you won't really mind it.

Kudos to Tillman Long Interiors, an interior design company based in Atlanta, for this gem of a guest house.



Friday, July 12, 2013

Tali Beach Weekend

A month ago, I visited Tali Beach for the first time.  It was a pretty chill weekend with my mom, her friends and their kids: we went swimming, sound tripping, and gorged on delicious home cooked Pinoy meals. 


View from the house.
It was the height of summer so the bougainvilleas and fire trees were still in full bloom.


La Casa Blanca
(they have really nice cabanas for rent here if anyone's interested)


the yellow-bells looked sooooo happy! It was like sunshine in petal form

I couldn't help burying myself in it.



Our Filipino breakfast of boneless tinapa, daing, fried rice, 
corned beef, hotdogs, and pineapple for dessert.


Off to the beach...with a book, of course.


Here with the "Northwest" kids (and I mean kids as in high school and college ages, haha!)  
They are kids of my mom's friends from her Northwest Airline days.
She worked for NWA for almost 20 years.


 At night all is quiet and only the crickets (and a guitar) keep you company.


But in the morning, sunshine returns and ever-so-brightly.
Have a wonderful weekend!




Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Beach House Blues




This is my beach house inspiration for the week.
A lovely Sag Harbor, Hamptons home by Willey Design who says, 
"Life is too short for an all-beige room". 

I love that the dining, kitchen, and living room all flow into one big space.

The choice of lighting fixtures & the mix of blues & aquas are also superb.  
Two thumbs up!


Monday, July 01, 2013

Batik Love!

I am in love with these fins from Deus Ex Machina.


Inlaid and foiled by hand in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia.

Handmade batik fins.  Oh my. *siiiiigh* 
Perfect for interior designer-surfers like me!!!

Balik-Bukid: A Country Fair

Last April 28, I visited the annual Balik Bukid Country Fair in Sta Elena. 

The fair, held twice a year, is organized by Gippy & Hindy Tantoco at their lovely, sprawling property in nearby Laguna.  With a wide array of homemade and handmade products (food, clothes, household products and even furniture), the 2-hour trip was definitely worth it.  


of course, we couldn't resist

with my friends from Brown Belly, Noelle and Kage

Farmer Charlie

 

bumped into Kim Jones covering the fair for her TV show
(please don't ask me what Kage is doing with a bikini top on her head...)

there were boat rides and rope bridges

washing stations made of wood and bamboo (excellent, if you ask me!)

Cuteness overload! Can't get enough of Luigi & Ria Trillo's kids

 Noelle hangs on to the mini-zipline

 
crafts galore

and an animal-petting station! Too fun!

Charlie & Kage try (and buy!) the goods

my organic raw veggies lunch with brown rice

My friend Nikki gifted me with a book-cover pendant before, and it's been a fave ever since. 
Now it's time to add one more, this time from another well-loved book (and movie). 


Happy to see my friend Mons, too.  Didn't expect to run into so many friends in this fair! 


 Kids' yoga time!


 The set-up for Sunday mass. Lovely time under the trees. 


And finally, words from the wise.

It is always good to go back to nature, to walk on soil, roll on grass,
 pet animals, talk to your neighbors and ride horses and carabao carts 
and eat the freshest foods that could grow out of the earth. 

It seems though that what should be so natural has become so novel to modern man. 

Too bad that for some people, like me, it has to be a bi-annual, 2 hour ride away sometimes.

I hope country fairs like Balik-Bukid could happen more often.  

Congratulations to the organizers and may we have more of these please!