Washified Kraft Notebooks

I am a fan of handmade stuff. As much as I can, whenever I try to give something to my friends, I always make it a point to put my personal touch on it.

As most of my high school girl friends enjoy writing on notebooks and journals, I decided to give them washi-fied kraft journals last Christmas. I had to ask each of them about their favorite colors, and from there, I had to select washi tape rolls whose designs complement each other, and at the same time, matched the favorite colors of my friends. It was pretty easy to create the washi-fied journals, and the experience of being able to come up with a gift that's a "labor of love" is something fulfilling. Luckily, my friends liked the journal. I had to remind them that I'm still a novice in the handmade movement so that they'll cut me some slack. I'm just glad that my friends were very appreciative. :)

For the details: the plain kraft journals/notebooks were ordered from Papemelroti; the washi tapes were purchased from PaperblushPh. 

The Frustrated Typography Artist

Since I was a kid, I've been resigned to the fact that drawing portraits, sceneries, and even still life was not my cup of tea. However, since my childhood days, I have always been fascinated with awesome typography.

Merriam-Webster defines typography as "the style, arrangement, and appearance of printed letters on a page". Typography is more commonly known as "lettering". 

As I've said I have always been a frustrated typography artist. I like the way letters are styled and written on paper. And since I can't find any school which offers a crash course on typography, I just rely on checking sample typography works on the net, and try to practice on my spare time. Practicing typography has also been a good stress-relieving activity for me. I have posted below some of my attempts at typography. Hope I can find to pursue and enhance this interest. :)

Of Colored Fountains and Fire Prevention Month

Last Monday, I went with my Dad at the Quezon Memorial Circle to try my hand (or feet actually) at brisk walking. I was (finally) convinced by my Dad to get into some form of fitness regimen, for Zion's sake.

Once we got in the park, I noticed there were a lot of fire trucks, and a lot of guys from the Bureau of Fire Protection. From the booming PA system, I realized that they were launching Fire Prevention Month - oo nga pala, March na (i.e. Oh yeah.. It's the month of March). I was a disappointed and lost my interest to jog that day because there were a lot of people and most of them occupied the joggers' path/track. After one and a half rounds, and being disappointed, I stopped by the cemented pavement facing the central park monument and just listened and watched the festivities (i.e. If you can't beat them, just listen and join them).

It was nice watching the fire trucks parading. It was even nicer watching the colored water that came out from the firetrucks. They were like colored fountains that sparkled in the morning sun. I suddenly remembered my son, that he would surely enjoy the sight of parading fire trucks and the colored fountain water, had he been there with me. I suddenly admired the courage of the people doing fire-fighting work. Their job is a very dangerous one but they were brave enough to take on the risks in order for people to be safe. I do hope the people in the park was not only mesmerized with the parade of fire trucks and the colored fountains. I do hope they would remember what was the festivity for - the launch of the Fire Prevention Month - a brief reminder to everyone that as summer is approaching, extra care must be taken to stay away from fire-related accidents.

Mouth Melting Burger at The Burger Project

Maginhawa St. in UP Village, Quezon City (Philippines) is a food tripper's paradise. From pasta, to burger, to coffee, and milk tea - one only needs to explore the loooong street to find what would satisfy one's palette.

One of the places my mom tried and liked was The Burger Project. She was particularly craving for burger that time when she remembered me mentioning about The Burger Project. If Wimpy (Popeye's burger-loving friend) were a real human being, I would say that The Burger Project could be his brainchild. Aptly named, this burger joint allows their customers to create their own burgers - from the bread, to the pattie, and down to garnishments and sauces. 

As I was not with my mom when they visited the resto, my mom chose the Western Bacon Melt Burger for me (as a takeout). According to the staff, this is one of their bestselling, non-customized burger. When my mom handed me the takeout bag containing the burger, I noticed that it has some weight. It was not extremely heavy, but for a paperbag containing only a burger, it has some weight. When I opened the bag, I was delightfully surprised and almost drooled. The fully-loaded burger has a thick burger pattie, several bacon strips, mushrooms, cheese slices, tomato strips, and those huge onion rings inside the burger. It also has an accompanying bbq sauce in case the customer wants to pour in the sauce in small doses. It took some time before I was able to start eating. And it took me about an hour and a half before I could finish the entire burger. 

In my opinion, it was one of the best burgers I tasted. The burger pattie was cooked just right (medium done) - still juicy and flavorful to think it was a takeout order. The burger toppings and garnishments complimented each other and complimented the burger itself. For its taste and its size, it was worth the price (PHP 235). :)