Art Frame Love Two Days Before the New Year

“Live your truth. 

Express your love. 

Share your enthusiasm. 

Take action towards your dreams. 

Walk your talk. 

Dance and sing to your music. 

Embrace your blessings. 

Make today worth remembering.” 

― Steve Maraboli

Today was supposed to be spent on the road, enjoying the breeze and the sweet, sugary air of Negros Occidental. But plans get thwarted, which, surprisingly, was OK with me. I had planned on waking up early to get some crafting done, but I overslept again. The cancelled trip left my day open to a lot of possibilities among them finally finishing my artframe and hanging my photos on them. I have always wanted to do an artsy frame from scratch--made out of an old, unused frame, cheap wallpaper for the backing, and cheap wooden paper clips which Lee Plaza sells for less than PHP 50. I finally got around to doing just that today, after I printed some photos and cut them up so they can be clipped on along the brown twine that I had attached on both sides of the frame. Finally, le frame is done! 

Today is December 29, after all, two days before we greet 2013 (Whew!). After a whole year of promising myself that I'd get my own artsy frame done, I finally got around to it, just in time for the New Year! 

The Faces of Christmas

Christmastime always brings all sorts of people to our doors. In my hometown, people like to go around caroling for a few pesos, which can amount to a lot if you work at it hard enough. This has been a tradition of sorts and I'm sure it is the same all over the Philippines.

It is usually the people from the mountains who like to sing and ask for Christmas gifts. They go in groups, with  homemande ukuleles in hand, most of them wearing thick jackets to ward off the heat or the cold winds brought by the amihan winds. This Christmas is no different. In just one day we had four groups of people who came by to sing, ask for something hot to drink, and even for old clothes. Of course, we give what we could, and they are always grateful, quite unlike some Christmas carolers here in Dumaguete who sing one stanza from a popular Christmas song and proceed to DEMAND that they be given something in return. Where's the Christmas spirit in that, I ask you?

In my hometown, carolers sing Visayan Christmas songs in the distinct plaintive notes that characterize songs from the mountains They also are genuinely happy with whatever we give, whether its a plate of food or a few coins. We had the privilege to be visited by several groups of carolers when we went home for Christmas, and hearing their songs made me wax nostalgic for all the Christmases that have gone by. 

Christmas Came Early!

Despite a roller-coaster year, December started of with a blast for me. A friend of mine was clearing out his collection of old rangefinders. and decided (bless his heart) to give me two of them!!! *happy cartwheels* So before the school break ended I got the happy notice from the post office to claim the package which contained the two cameras that he sent all the way from Belgium. One is a Yashica Rangefinder Electro 35 GSN and an Olympus XA2. I never imagined I would get a film camera this early, but I did, and now I cannot wait to try them out. Both cameras are rangefinders, which means I have a few hours of learning ahead of me, but still, can't wait!!! More blessings came as the days wore on, including a cute little coin purse from Nikki and two New York Times bestsellers from my sister. Happy! This is turning out to be the best Christmas ever and the break has not even ended.

I can only hope that you all are  enjoying the holidays as much as I am. It is never about gifts, but knowing that you are loved and showing love in return. I wish everyone a great holiday. Cannot be excited enough for the New Year and all the excitement it brings. 

Good vibes all around! 

Another Oly for my collection! 

Yashica Electro 35 GSN

Thank you, Nikki!

Cannot wait to get started on these. Thanks Memoy!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day 2012 is about to come to a close in a few hours. Just like that, we are on full speed ahead to a new year. Everything has happened to quickly this past year, and there has been a lot of events that made me happy, made me sad, made me appreciate how fragile life is, and made me see how beautiful it can be as well. I am especially thankful that I got to spend Christmas with my family this year, and for all the good things, the tangibles and intangibles that came my way. 

Good vibes all around.

 Merry Christmas everyone!

Personal {My Cup Runs Over: Musings on the Holidays}

Despite a couple of bad news that greeted my holidays I ended the day with a thankful heart and a new perspective on set-backs. I keep reminding myself that minor struggles often seem so large when you are fighting them, but  when you look back, when time has given you the right perspective, all of it, especially the negative things, seems so small. The important thing is to focus on the things that matter, like friends, family, having a roof over your head, being and knowing that you are truly and genuinely loved, and knowing that you can give that kind of love in return. Everything else is just  superfluous fluff.

Which brings me to the topic of my friends. Ah, my friends. We are finding it hard to meet up as frequently as we used to, but moments with them always leave me feeling fresh and energized. This holiday, it was my house for the holiday party, and we started a new tradition of giving one gift each to the rest, pretty fun if you are at the receiving end, not so much if you are flat broke and the thought of giving to six or seven girls is not something that is financially feasible for you (but we managed). Of course, it was the usual night of eating, catching up, reminiscing, taking lots of pictures, despite the fact that some of us were missing. The food was great, the companionship even more so. So as I bid them goodbye, the cool gravel under my feet and the whiff of Christmas air in my nostrils, I realized again, that I am more than blessed. I may not have a perfect life, but my cup runs over.

Sally Mann and the Deaths of Innocence

I have been looking at a lot of Sally Mann's photographs lately after seeing one of her works here. She is one of  the most influential American photographers who ever lived, and her works are so unique since they  have this ability to project a powerful aura of despair and death in photographs that are hauntingly beautiful and real. She used her own children for a large part of her works, in ways that seemed to be a bit controversial for her time, but the photos are honest and human and grungy, absolute depictions of their life and home.

I was browsing through my collections of photos that I have forgotten and saw a set of photos of Crystel, a kid from my hometown. Crystel is cute and bubbly, very adorable. However, during the day that I took the photos of her, we both agreed that she stop posing and just walk and act naturally, which she happily did with ease.

After the Connecticut shootings on last Friday that took the lives of 20 children and 8 adults, I felt the B&W treatment a little bit fitting for the photos in this post, especially as I sit hear listening to news reports saying that the victims were mostly kids 6-7 years old. I cannot imagine the heartbreak the parents and the entire community must feel. All those young lives snuffed out, the horror and pain the parents must be going through right now. Like the rest of the world, I am also left speechless. This thing didn't just take out the lives of those people and those precious little children, it took the innocence of the rest of the kids in that school who survived. No child should be made to go through the tragedy of losing a friend, a classmate, in the hands of a madman.