Beach House No. 13: Holiday House

What is it with small homes hidden amidst lush foliage that just appeals to me so much?  As far back as I could remember, even as a child I would stare at photos of cottages and cabanas in my mom's Better Homes & Gardens magazines for hours.  Maybe it hints of cozy corners, of a beach nearby, or being surrounded by adventure.  If you have a small lot, say 150-200 square meters, this is a really good way to use your space.  Designed by Bloem & Lemstra Architects.

It gets better as I study the floor plan longer.  There is a guest room with 2 mattresses, and if you want to accommodate more, I imagine you could use double-deck beds.  The bedrooms are small because it was designed for just the holidays, thus I am assuming the residents will be spending most of the days outside rather than inside.  Thanks to the sliding glass and metal doors, the inside is the outside is the inside. 

 

Excellent Dutch design.  The perfect weekend home. 

Puerto Galera

I believe that we all need precious time to reconnect with our planet and let Mother Nature heal our bodies and souls.

Last March, in Puerto Galera during the Malasimbo Festival, I did just that.  The Philippines is just so beautiful...if you know where to go.  

I am thankful and feeling very blessed to have moments like this come my way.

Painted Headboard

No space is too small for some smart stylin'! 

If your room can't fit anything else but a mattress, and there's absolutely no space for a headboard, then try painting it on the wall.  Defines the space, adds a point of interest for the room, and is just plain charming and cute.  

This idea was brought to you by Katie Ermillio for Rue Magazine.  

Kissing 2013 Goodbye

I'm in Manila now and for sure it's going to be loud and noisy tonight.  For it's NEW YEAR's EVE later and all sorts of fireworks will be filling the sky! Christmas lights will be blazing (like this one from my Instagram account...follow me at @nina_santamaria).

Allow me to look back and be thankful for the highlights of my year:

The launch of my work portfolio & design blog in January 2012, www.GrupoSantamaria.ph

Going back to Siargao in April (#faveplaceonearth) 

Siargao pic by Charlie Gomez

 Bali in May. To read about that epic trip, click here.

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte with my family. No surfing but plenty of SUP-ing.

 And then...there was Paris in September. Paris where everything was perfect. 

Beautiful places on earth.  Seeing these cities and hanging out with old & new friends enriched me and filled me with so much inspiration!

And then, I just came back from another favorite destination, La Union.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my year.  It was not my best year, for I got majorly sick in many ways...but for four days I was just so grateful to be able to still go to the beach, enjoy nature, hangout with my friends, and still ride the waves in the ocean, even for just a few times each day.  I usually seal my year with surf (click HERE), now sharing with you images from the last days of 2013...memories I'll cherish for a loooong time.

Photo from Coast Thru Life. 

chilly weather, beach December

Buji & monkey-Nikki at our fave break

crossing the highway to get to El Union Coffee (best coffee in town!)

met my new goddaughter for the 1st time

I went to Sunday mass but got there early.  

I decided to have merienda outside the church and met Lola Irene--

she is 82 years old and told me her secret to a long life was eating a lot of vegetables! 

God's way of reminding me to watch what I eat.  

quality time with Mia & Carla...and Barry the wagon

watched "HUGO" outdoors and under the stars
(follow @flotsamandjetsamhostel)

vigan longganisa pizza
OMG.
(words aren't enough to describe how insanely yummy this is)

Carla, Joncy, & Marco taking a kitchen break and showing some holiday spirit

With best bud Nikki. We're smiling and you know why.  

perfect weather. photo by Kim Jones

You surprised me to no end, 2013.  Thank you and goodbye.  

I can't wait to live each day of 2014. 

 “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 

― Mother Teresa 

Sunday Surf

Last Saturday, I had to go fix up a client's Christmas party in the morning, help out briefly at a shoebox relief drive in my office, and go to 2 exhibit and gallery openings (one of which was in Tagaytay and the other was in Sta. Rosa, Laguna).  

After which I hurried home, threw bikinis, sunblock, and apples in a bag and hopped on a bus to San Juan, La Union.  

I'm so happy to have done that.

Nikki going cuckoo over...Cuckoo. 

Morning surf, cool weather, smiles and greetings from surfers who were glad to see me after a long absence in the lineup.  Awesome afternoon chill-a-thon at Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel til the sun went down. 

Room to breathe, baby.

Bring the next Saturday on.

CoastThruLife.com

I and my friends from Coast Thru Life are very excited to share with you this website we have been working on for a long time.  Featuring our Back to Basics Collection and our Lookbook as shot by Charlie Gomez, Ian Zamora, and Jefferson Ganuelas.  

Hope you can drop by and take a look.

Have a blessed weekend, everyone.  

Jacques Garcia for Baker

In love with the new furniture line of Jacques Garcia for Baker Furniture.

Simple lines, luxe materials, sexy looks.

I want that St. James sofa so bad.

It's could be the lovechild of Marie Antoinette and Lenny Kravitz.