Weekly / 07.20.2014

Music Monday

Ever since I read this article, I've been on a Garden State sound trip. Zach Braff's new movie Wish I Was Here also has a pretty awesome soundtrack.


Tasty Tuesday

Still thinking about the paella negra with aioli from this year's Yummy Eats. I clearly did not think my day through. After a couple of hours sampling food at the Metrotent (I didn't even get to make it to half of the list!), I had lunch with my college besties, which stretched on to merienda of coffee, macarons, and cheesecake. Eep. My excuse? PMS. Hahaha! It's always my excuse.

Wishful Wednesday

Hoping that I get to see the songs from Jason Mraz's latest album performed live. Maybe he'll swing by again? (:

Thoughtful Thursday

I've been trying to get back into craftier things these days. Luckily some friends indulge in my feeble attempts at typography and watercolor. Some illustrations I was commissioned to do a few months ago are about to be published in a book very soon. And I'm currently working on something fun for friends. Can't wait to see how it'll all come together! I'm happy to have discovered that a hobby is actually worthy enough to be seen by others. Hehe.

Fashion Friday

Got a pair of joggers on sale from Dorothy Perkins after catching a screening of She's Dating the Gangster with my friends from the office. Which, by the way, was not half bad. I truly feel that Kathryn Bernardo is Sarah Geronimo, junior (and I love Sarah G!). Little known fact: the seed of this movie was planted at one of our monthly reports. Haha! Crazy how it has snowballed into what it is now. CRAY! Also: the movie was totally a '90s throwback, making me reminisce about see-through beepers (didn't you have one of those, too?) and DMs (wish I kept my brown ones!). I am officially old.

Made It Myself: Handmade Stationery

Last weekend, I spent a rainy Saturday afternoon at a cozy cafe with some fellow crafty people making cards and envelopes with my brand new Martha Stewart punchers.

My friend Mikko has the biggest collection of craft punchers. I'm not even kidding. So when she opened up a craft huddle that came bundled with a free puncher, I didn't even think twice about signing up.

Here she is at Cordillera Coffee along Xavierville Avenue with the busy participants handcrafting their own stationery sets.

We were free to use as much paper as we wanted and had unlimited borrowing rights to Mikko's tools just for that afternoon.

Funny how it was my first time at Cordillera Coffee when I pass by it every single day. This was the super yummy tuna pesto sandwich I had paired with Tableya coffee.

Merienda break! See that paper garland strung across the room? Mikko made that too!

My punching skills aren't perfect so you'll notice one of the loops got cut off, haha! But I'm mighty proud of this pretty little envelope I made. I didn't use a template and just eyeballed the dimensions using the card I made. Didn't realize it was that easy to make an envelope until I did it. Ha!

This was made using a template Mikko cut out for me. Next on my things-to-buy list? That envelope template maker! Sooo convenient.

Our class picture after an afternoon of making. Now I can't wait to sit down and get to work on my stationery sets for the swap next week!

I Try DIY Craft Huddle: Paper Folding

I always hover around the origami paper section in Saizen,but never really buy because my origami skills are very basic. I used to be so jealous of my classmates in grade school who could turn paper bills into polo shirts or hearts (like magic!). I could make a paper boat, if I remembered the right order of folding. Haha!

So when one of Mikko's Craft Huddles—the paper folding one!—fell on a holiday, I took it as a sign. I headed over to Harvest in The Fort that afternoon, excited over the thought that I'd be coming home with some paper folding skillz.

First up: choose your paper. Mix had a ton of pretty paper! I couldn't decide which ones to get. Look at all those pretty patterns!

Our first project was the paper wallet. She actually did a tutorial for this on candymag.com. You can totally make this and stuff with a few 20-peso bills for your godkids!

Tried making one on my own (had to ask for help, though!) the second time around. Not too shabby, right?

Next: a box! We had to choose paper with matching prints. I got cupcake-themed ones. So cute!

 We made the base first.

And then the lid. I didn't put enough allowance in my folds so the lid was kind of too small for my base. Whoops!

Paper bags that don't need glue or tape! All they're missing are handles and your gift bag is ready.

This box was my favorite. A bit hard to make (I'm not entirely sure I can recreate it on my own without troubleshooting from Mikko) but it looks so nice! It's like a box within a box. Very fancy, haha.

Pillow boxes for tiny trinkets like earrings or bracelets. Here's a link to the tutorial in case you want to try making them on your own.

My happy family of paper products. I have yet to sit down and attempt to make another batch without help, but this will make gift wrapping for Christmas fun!

Want to learn more holiday crafts? Head on over to I Try DIY for the November schedule of Craft Huddles (I'm personally eying the Craft of the Card next!).