a garden of flowers

I woke up to a garden of flowers. Waking up a bit disoriented due to a weird dream, I went through the motions of preparing for work - brush teeth, change clothes, comb hair. I was still in a semi-sleep state when I walked downstairs with my mom. As i rounded the curb in the stairway, 5 baskets of flowers lined up the staircase. And below the staircase, on top of the piano, were five beautiful bouquets, each lined with a different colored lining. The bouquets had lovely lavender sprigs :) And there was D, waiting in the kitchen. And so my birthday started.

It was a lovely way to start the day, with all those beautiful flowers. Had a quick breakfast of citrus green tea (from Ni's canada trip) and vegetarian misua (thanks to mommy). D also gifted me with red velvet cake from ucc, which i've been craving since two weeks ago hehe. I just love the cream cheese frosting.

Work was work. One of our clients asked us for our orchids so that she could replant them in her garden. Apart from that, the day was every bit of regular.

Had dinner with the family at Peking Garden, where Ni entertained us with her funny antics and booming voice, acting how she'd answer the phone when one of Ai's "best" friends called. We also laughed about the eel being the largest predator, an inside joke from Ai's biology test.

After getting home, I managed to put all the bouquets into a big vase. Then I placed a few flowers in those Starbucks coffee bottles. They make such a bright addition to any room, flowers in a vase.

And so ends my birthday. It's a bit more subdued with all that's happening, but am super grateful to my family and D for making this day special. Oh, I got a Lumix x5 too! :D New toy hehe. Thanks ni :)

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Watched Stomp at CCP last night. Got there a few minutes late so we weren't able to sit at our chosen seats but we still got okay seats. The show was unlike any show I've ever seen. It didn't have a storyline, and it was just basically a show where they created melodies, noise, and sound with the strangest of things - sticks, tires, drums, plastic bags, sinks. It was great seeing how all the different sounds tied in. My favorite parts where the hanging scene, where the cast were hanging on wires and banging on all sorts of stuff on the metal chain fence. Great sounds! Also loved the lighter scene. The lighters went on and off so fast, it created such optical illusions. At some point, they looked like Christmas lights, then digital advertisements where the text just goes around and around (like the news flash text on tv).

Ended the night with dinner at Dencio's and apple ginger beer (yum!).
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I can feel the weekend just around the corner. It's been a trying week, but it's been a great one nonetheless :)

peter pan

Tired as I type this post, but a happy tired as the weekend ends and a new week begins.

I watched Peter Pan at the Meralco Theatre with my family on Saturday. Congrats to D and his friends for a successful show :) I liked the comedic touch to Captain Hook's character. My cousins enjoyed the show as well, laughing over the actors' antics. It's nice to see them appreciating musical theatre. Of course, they were happier when they found out they could take a picture with Sam. They also managed to get autographs.

Played a dice game today at Greenhills. Had poor luck so I ended up only with a few prizes - chips, juice, etc. D and I dropped by Tea Tap Cafe along P. Guevarra afterwards. The place is spacious and cozy, although I find the drinks to not really stand out from Serenitea or Chatime. I had the wintermelon milk tea while D had the Fuji apple milk tea. Both were yummy and had chewy sago balls. Prices are also in the same price range. I have to say that it does win hands down for ambiance.

Headed off to BC's afterwards then had dinner with D's college friends at Ermita. Busy day of socializing :) My head spun from all the computer jargon, but it was interesting how professional they all sounded, each knowing what the other was talking about interfaces and servers and what-nots. I don't think I've ever sat down discussing psych theories after graduation :| 

cookbooks

These are some cookbooks that have caught my eye. I shall get them when the pocket is willing.

1. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

I'd love to try my hand at their White Cake, as blogged by Sweetapolita here.

2. Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented 

3. Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy
    I love how the cookie recipes are arranged according to texture so you can easily search for the cookie you're craving for. I often find myself craving something gooey, although other times I prefer something crispy. And this cookbook makes it so much easier to satisfy cravings :)

October, Hello!

Kicked off the first October weekend with dinner at Wabi Sabi with D. Their Vietnamese sandwich is comfort food :)

On Sunday, accompanied Ni and participated in her gown designing meeting. Afterwards, we played lazertag with Nielle, Matt, and Sherisse, together with Ni, H, and Zel. Thanks to D! It was fun after not having played for some time, and it was fun targeting the kids in the other group, a fact which the kids from the other group lamented with a scornful "Adults!" Haha

Looked around furniture shops afterwards. We spotted a wonderful white sofa/recliner which would look great in a media room. My cousins loved the bunk bed and the built in side shelves in the lower bunk. The furniture store was a nice source of interior design inspiration.

Ended the Sunday with dinner at Choi Garden and a pretty crazy game of A to Z.