[Zei the MOM] Halloween Highlight

I've never been fond of Halloween... until this year. You see, to me, Halloween was just a marker that my favorite holiday -- Christmas, was just around the corner. But this year, because of our sweetheart, who manages to be more adorable by the day, Halloween has become a legit holiday for me. :) It's actually not Zia's first Halloween, although she was too little last year, we dressed her up as a caterpillar and a ladybug, but she seemed cranky and uninterested. Fast forward to this year, she more than obliged to have us dress her up. She went trick-or-treating like a pro despite being a first timer. Add to that, she knows how to walk on her own already and she likes clutching on to anything, so it wasn't difficult to get her to walk around and ask for treats. :) No tricks for this little girl. :) So here are some photos of our little Halloween Highlight, also known as Zia. :)

(L-R) Zia sporting her Batgirl costume for trick-or-treat at her cousin's place; Zia delighting  her audience as a Starbucks barista while trick-or-treating at my office 

Zia's jack-o-lantern bib bought online

Our baby girl - as bat-cheeks. Hehe. :) 

This is just the first of many Halloweens our sweetheart. We still have a lot of years to decide her costume for her until she chooses to be a sexy devil or a sexy pirate, which I saw teens don this Halloween - until then, we shall stay away from those and stick to the cutesy ones. :)

Hope you had your own Halloween fun and hope you also had time to spend with your family and loved ones for All Souls and Saints Day.

[Zei the foodie] Wishing for a jolly jeep renaissance

I love watching Eat St. in Lifestyle network whenever I catch it after work, never mind that the show always leaves me hungry and wishing I could be transported to the streets of San Francisco, California and New York to get a bite of all the yummy and interesting food they feature.

The show features the food truck invasion in the US wherein different cuisines from all parts of the world are sold by food trucks - food so yummy, the goers sometimes line up for quite some time just to buy these hunger busters that they say could easily rival food from fine dining restaurants. 

Watching Eat St. has made me wish for a revamp of our very own Jolly Jeep. I worked in Makati for 2 and a half years before and I used to buy lunch and merienda from these Jolly Jeeps, but I truly believe in my heart of hearts that these fast food on wheels could take their game a notch higher. Wishing that someday maybe the best Greek Gyro, Mexican Taco, New York Cheesecake or other what-have-yous could be bought from our very own Jolly Jeeps and just like in the US, eating in the streets might never be the same again.

Just thinking out loud. :)

This post has gotten me hoping to cap off this weekend with yummy food. =p 

[Zei on Career & Passion] Bangkok Files Part 1

I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to go to different places. My most recent out of the country trip for work took me to Thailand for the first time. =) And as a first timer, here are some of the things I think one should do when in Bangkok:

Photo collage made using www.photovisi.com / All photos were taken by me

1) Shop, shop, shop - I didn't do much of this since I was out on official business, but if I had the time and extra money, I'd shop to my heart's content. Platinum Mall is filled with lots of trendy and cheap clothes while Siam Paragon has the upscale shops for your designer fix.

2) Eat Mango with Sticky Rice - It's super yummy. It's like our native suman, but sweeter and more sticky with sweet yummy mango and rice crispies on top. =)

3) Have Tom Yum - Yup, there's nothing better than eating Tom Yum in its country of origin. Yum! Indeed.

4) Ride the tuktuk - This one is just for the experience I guess, since they charge differently especially if they notice you're not a local.

5) Visit a temple - I didn't get to visit the old and big temples since I was in the city, but I was lucky to chance upon this holy place in the middle of the city while walking. The temples were small, but grand none the less.

6) Ride the Skytrain - It's the easiest way to get around Bangkok, I think, since traffic is bad when you take a cab.

7) Go to Terminal 21 - For a unique shopping experience, this new mall, Terminal 21 is a great destination. Though the stuff sold are a bit pricier, the ambiance is worth taking the trip. It's designed like an airport and each floor is designed like a different country or city. Every floor transports you to a different place - from London, US, Japan to Rome and Paris.

So there, that's just my bit from my trip to Bangkok. Would love to go back for leisure soon. =)

[Zei the MOM] Sweet & Nautical for our sweetheart!

This is a late post, but blog-worthy none the less. =) Just sharing with you our Zia's 1st birthday blowout in pictures. Yep, will let these captured wonders speak for themselves. =)

{The Setup} - styling by Pink Tie

{Food & Table setup} - by VS&F

{The wonderful guests - big, small, young and young at heart}

{Our happy family}

{The celebrant}

And just like that, our baby girl is now a year old. And I shall end this photo blog with a line from our video message for our daughter which we showed during her celebration - 'we may not be the perfect parents, but we promise to love you, our Zia, every second of everyday, the best way we can and the best way we know how to. =)

Have a wonderful wonderful weekend everyone!

All photos by Owi of The Stork Studio.

[Zei on Home Deco & Design] Project... yet again!

Photo from Robin's Roundup

Now that Zia's 1st birthday is done, I can now save up for new home projects, which makes me feel giddy just by thinking about it. And so, to get me started, as in my previous projects, I shall list them down and look forward to each and every ones completion.

1) Yellow accent wall mini-project

2) Backyard fence project

3) Master bedroom improvement

4) Outdoor Lanai project

5) Kitchen overhaul

The above are big projects compared to my previous ones, but I figured that I've been wanting to do them since we moved in 2010 and that I should start the groundwork ASAP. I have no target date in mind except that everything should be done by the time Zia turns 2, so that gives me a year. I put in the kitchen overhaul last because it costs the most. =p

But aside from the big projects, there are some things I'd like to purchase within the month to satisfy my pursuit for prettifying our home. And these things include:

1) Modern Vintage throws from Our Home

2) Matching floor rugs from Divi

3) Different sized topiaries from Divi

4) More wall decals from Nu Dekor Wall Stickers

That's it. It's quite a lot, but I'm excited to take on these 'for-me-but-technically-for-the-family' projects. It makes me happy.

What are your latest home projects?     

[Zei the charmed one] It's Friday and I'm inlove!

With these two. :)

And just by looking at my husband and baby girl, I realized, yet again, that I should stop whining and just keep on saying thank you because which ever way I look at my life, I am blessed.

Long weekend, see you in a jiff!

[Zei the Charmed one] Cloud Nine!

On the eve of our 9th anniversary as Rich & Zei I just want you to know this, Love...

After so many changes we've gone through - from first jobs to third jobs; from going out on dates to walking down the aisle; from dreaming of our own place to building our own home; from being just the two of us to being Zia's mommy & daddy; my love for you has stayed the same, maybe it's grown even more. I want you to know that each and everyday I call you 'LOVE' isn't just out of habit - I call you 'LOVE' because I mean it. And I mean it each and everyday. 

Happy 9th Love! I love you! :)