Ibyang
Ibyang

Thank You 2008!

Since I got inspired by the year-end thank you’s I wrote last year (click! click! this please), I now look back once again on how this year has been good to me. I may have had dark moments but over-all the good surpasses (as it always does) whatever bad I have experienced this year.

My 2008 has been very eventful. If I were to describe it in one word, the first thing that comes to mind is MANIC–simply because the significant things that happened to me this year has either been ecstactically joyful or painfully sad (walang tulak-kabigin, lahat heavy-gat!). I looked back on my 2008 this morning, I shed a few tears because every event, both good and bad, beautifully happened for a reason, each one teaching a valuable lesson.

As I start my 2009 today, let just say my thank yous to 2008:

Thank you for (finally) bringing my husband home to me.

Thank you for the gift of a good marriage that is values-centered and has enormous faith in God.

Thank you for all the big and small milestones we achieved and for things falling into place. I’m grateful for every plan, every goal that has materialized.

Thank you for challenges I have faced. Each one difficult and at times painful, but has given me a tremendous lesson: that the world does not always revolve around me and that even if I was going thru hardships, I’m still (and will always be) capable of helping others.

Thank you for the blessing of special people in my life. My husband, parents, inlaws, relatives, friends. Each one of them has touched my life in so many ways.

Thank you for the gift of friendship. This year, there were several hellos and goodbyes with people. To the ones who said “Hello”, know that I’m blessed to have met you. To the ones who said “Goodbye”, thank you for being a part of my life–I will leave my door open incase you want to say “Hello” again.

Thank you for the gift of change and transitions. Sometimes nerve-wracking but always bringing out the best in me. It is thru these that I am able to discover strengths I never knew I was capable of.

Thank you for the gift of travel. With each place explored, I know more and I share more.

Thank you for the gift of photography and writing. Two things I love doing because I am able to show God’s wonderful creations and share information that may be able to help other people.

Thank you for a stable and not-so-hectic career. There are days when work was so demanding but it was always worth it because work also gave me back days-off that I could enjoy and a flexible time so I’m able accomplish my personal goals. I will always be grateful that the career I have now gives me more time to be a Wifey than a careerwoman.

Thank you for the gift of good advices. In times when confused and looking for answers, it was thru words of wisdom shared by people around me that has made a difference.

Thank you for the value of fear. Some people may not see it as a good value, but this year, I have learned that it is if you put it into good use. Fear was one of those values that gave me courage to make a big change in my life.

Thank you for the gift of safety and good health.

Thank you for all the memories, big and small. They made me who I am today and has made me cherish every moment that I’m alive.

As I say goodbye to 2008, I feel that with all the things I’ve gone thru, I say hello to 2009 a bigger and better person (the same feeling I have whenever a year has gone by).

Happy New Year everyone! May your 2009 be kinder, happier and always full of love.

Highlights of my 2008:

January. My very own DSLR. Our 1st Wedding Anniversary. My 31st birthday. “Say it with Photographs” website is born.

February. Little Lenten Sacrifice. Chris’ Spouse Visa Approval. Officially changed my name in Australia.

March. Problems with the Immigration regarding Chris’ date of departure from Dubai. Getting ready for my reunion with the Husband: travel preps and office preps. My SWEET REUNION WITH THE HUSBAND. Arrived in DUBAI!!!

April. Explored Dubai. A taste of Abu Dhabi. Quick stay in Singapore. Back home in Sydney with the Husband (finally!!!). Chris’ welcome party. Showed the Husband around the City of Sydney.

May. “Ibyang Doodles” website is born. A day at Blue Mountains. Chris’ grandma passed away. La Perouse and Brighton Beach exploration with Hilda, Andrea and Toti. Celebrated 10 years of being an HR Professional.

June. On Board Kix Tavora’s Team. Phantom of the Opera (The Musical).

July. World Youth Day 2008 (Australia). Billy Elliot (Musical).

August. Port Stephens Roadtrip. Snowy Mountains Adventure. Quick Stopover at Canberra. Blue Mountains Roadtrip. Fr. Fernando Suarez’ Healing Mass.

September. Chris’ Pre-birthday Party. False Alarm. Chris’ Birthday. Chris’ Post-Birthday Party. Dinner at Bahay Kubo with Friends. Trip to Berrima. Tulips Festival in Bowral.

October. Floriade Festival in Canberra. Approval of Australian Citizenship. Realizations. Bus Accident. Moving Day! Night Noodle Festival. Wine Tasting at the Hunter Valley. Halloween Night with the Kolokoys.

November. Meet-up and Lunch with Plurk Buddies Jo and Pen. Lunch Party for Our Relatives. Housewarming Party for the Kolokoys.

December. Christmas Chair Tree Lighting. Dear Pink. Chris Being Permanent at Work. Dinner at BBQ City. Dinner at Sagano. Wii Party. Christmas Eve Party. Our First Christmas Together. Sydney New Year’s Eve Party!

Favorite articles I’ve written for this year:

Blog Highlights:

Click on the colored phrases to refer back to the articles.

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Fab Holiday Finds: Red Hot Accents

Red is the dominant color for accents inside the home nowadays. Not only because of the season but because I love red. And as far as the Husband is concerned, it is the only color for the home that we never argue about. Believe me, it’s not easy deciding colors for the home when you have an artist for a husband.

Since it’s Christmas time, our dining table looked like this on Christmas day:

The Husband and I conceptualized the centerpiece for the dining table. We decided that our Christmas colors would be red and silver. I initially bought the red christmas placemats (cost was AUD$5.00 each) around October.

For the centerpiece, it was made up of the following: red and silver square platter (AUD$20.00), red and silver balls (approximately AUD$2.00 each), silver candle (AUD5.00), silver candle holder (AUD$5.00), tall red candle (AUD$2.00) and red star-shaped trimmings (AUD$5.00).

Other red accents we found for the home:

Red throw pillows for our grey sofa. We found these during the year-end clearance sale, from AUD$40.00 it was reduced to AUD$25.00/each.

A red bean bag. This wasn’t on sale but the beans for the bean bag was. The bean bag was about AUD$20.00, while the beans were AUD$11.00 per 500grams. Our bean bag contains 1,000 grams of beans.

This entry is for The Filipino Mom Blog‘s last week of Fab Holiday Finds.

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Re-upholstering of Dining Chairs

29 December 2008 13 Comments Category: Domestic Bliss, Food

We finally found the time to re-upholster our dining chairs.
Our dining table and chairs were hand-me-downs from my relatives and they advised us to spray paint and change the upholstery of the chairs so it would look like new again.

And so we bought gold spray paint, black fabric and a tacker.

From blue we changed the chairs to black because we wanted something neutral to go with red (which has become the dominant color in the house).
Our re-upholstered black dining chairs

Since the Husband did most of the work re-upholstering our dining chairs, I prepared a special afternoon snack for him–Mais Con Yelo! (sweet corn with ice and milk)

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