Day 25

ITS CHRISTMAS!!! And today it is all about L.O.V.E.

How ever you spent your day, I hope your hearts and homes were surrounded with love. 

Today is the last day of our advent calendar and we must say, it has been an amazing countdown to Christmas.  Its built up our spirit in a more broader sense than ever before. We have learnt to give more, to love and appreciate more, and to focus on the more important things in our lives.

Before we sign off, we just want to thank those who have taken some time to spare in reading the blog.

From us both, we wish you all a MERRY and WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS and we hope your time has been filled with joy, laughter and lots of love xx

Day #24

Its Christmas Eve and according to our advent calendar, we are to dedicate it to F A M I L Y.

 

Family are the most important people you share your life with. Spending it with your loved ones, friends and family... is what this festive season is all about! Enjoying each others' company… eating, drinking, and whatever fun traditions you do during this special time!

Today my family & I stayed in our jammies, watched loads of Christmas movies together and snacked on yummy treats. To top off our day, we had a great dinner at Toby Carvery. Now, this roast was immense; a four course meal seemed easy at first but wow, were we wrong! Some people (ahem, Sean) even went extra large too.

So, I'm currently writing this post trying to battle out this food coma in time for Midnight Mass later with the family… for us Christians we must not forget the real reason why we are celebrating this season!!

Merry Christmas Eve <3

Day #23

YAY! A fun Christmas activity to do just in time for Christmas Eve =)

“Have a go at making Gingerbread Men”

Whilst blasting out ultimate Christmas classic songs, we mixed together the ingredients, rolled, cut and baked. We had plenty more fun being creative and decorating them with silly faces. The parents joined in too; we were all like big kids in the kitchen.

Now, time to grab us a cuppa and enjoy these tasty little treats.

Day #16

"Light a candle with intention"

Wonderfully falling on this beautiful Sunday day, I went to church to light some candles. With those candles, I knelt in deep thought and prayed with intention. I prayed for my family, for my loved ones near and far. I prayed for direction; for the good Lord to guide me through each and every day. Most importantly, I prayed for those who grieve, like the people who have been affected by the shooting in Connecticut this week; the world is saddened by this tragedy.

For all who have lost someone close to their hearts, Christmas won't be the same without their presence but may you and your family's dear hearts heal and find comfort during this time.

God Bless. Happy Sunday x

 

I dedicate my post to my everdearest Uncle... though our hearts still ache from your absence, we all know you're in a safer place now. We LOVE you and may you REST IN PEACE.

Efren "BOY" Villa

Nov. 22 1960 - Aug. 1 2012

 

Day #15

Christmas lights are like the first sign of the festive season. You start seeing stands of fairy lights everywhere... you know Christmas is just round the corner. It really is a lovely reminder! Once accompanied with other decorations -- you're given the full picture then Ready, Get Set, Go! Non-stop celebrations.

So, today's task was to:

"Go visit Christmas lights of your choice"

There are sooooo many to choose from, especially in London; they are scattered everywhere. Some, we have already passed briefly on our travels into town. But for today, we decided to visit the good ol' Covent Garden Christmas lights... ONLY because my Christmas is never complete without seeing Rudolph! =) My other half couldn't say no hehehe.

The lights and decorations at Covent Garden were absolutely stunning. It was really nice to just stand and pause for a moment to take it all in. Its so amazing that festive elements like this can make such a transformation to the area and bring out all the excitement in you!

Speaking of excitement, prior to our Covent Garden lights tour, we got to enjoy ourselves with a few of our dearest friends at Winter Wonderland. Despite the crowds, we had a BRILLIANT time. We ate warm churros and chocolate (...mouthwatering), we drank mulled wine, and screamed on some rides. It was plenty of fun indeed.

And.... just in case our sister reads this, we did end our evening with her at Fire & Stone. Family time is always precious <3

Fun packed day for sure. I'm shattered.   

Day #10

"Write up and start giving out your Christmas cards"

This was an easy one. Funny though, how I was stuck with the duty to write them out but its okay... the mister took on the 'giving' part. Like Buddy says "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear" but don't think people will appreciate us caroling at their doorstop LOL... I think Christmas cards are probably our better option.

Happy Giving! x

 

Day #8

"Make a candlelit dinner for your family"

Such a pleasant way to begin the weekend =) We all know, we can always choose our friends but you cannot choose your family... So, today we made it all about F A M I L Y !

On this lovely, breezy Saturday morning, Sean, Mum, Dad & I headed to Taste of Christmas for some festive enjoyment. We listened to the amazing carol singers, we nibbled at lots of free samples, sipped on many beverages and fully relished our classic duck burgers from Comptoir Gascon. Delicious!

To end such a fun filled day, Sean and myself achieved our task of the day by cooking up a meal. With much success, we prepared some salmon blinis for starters and then Pad Thai for mains over a candlelit table. It was such an awesome day!

It is so important to spend your life showing those you love that they will always matter. Little gestures make the biggest impact.

Day #4

"To remind someone that you love them"

This coincidentally lifts off from yesterday's task as though it was meant to be a taster lesson of what to expect next year!

Saying "I LOVE YOU" is easier said than done. I mean, I personally never shy away from letting those close to me know that I do but I feel that maybe we don't say it enough. Doing that initial gesture in whatever way possible and reminding someone that you do has an impact on them. Those three little words can really make a difference.

On reading today's task, we both already knew who our 'someone' was (not each other, silly!) We both have someone dear to us; don't often talk  but we know they're always there... close to our hearts. So, we shared those special words with that person with the hope of making them smile.

Thanks for dropping by x

Christmas Fun

Hello one and all...

Unfortunately, I was unable to slip a post in before Christmas so "(Belated) Merry Christmas!" I do hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating this festive time of the year. Ate plenty and even more; drank enough that you sung to every Christmas song that played; watched all the movies that completed the day; opened your gifts like a big kid; and more importantly, enjoyed the company and presence of your loved ones & friends. I most certainly did =)  Here are just a couple of snaps of my Christmas weekend to share with you:

Hopefully you've all recovered nicely from your food comas and hangovers lol. Now it's time to prepare yourselves for the new and coming year. Resolutions anyone?!

Thanks for reading,

Ceejay x

Spectacular and 23!

Hey again, thanks for dropping by!

I am slightly backdated with my blog but as many of you would agree, there just seems to not be enough hours in the day to fit in the things we love doing. But I have an hour to spare and I've chosen to squeeze this entry in for you =)

25th October: The day before my sweet sister Kim's birthday (my boyfriend's sister to be precise), I'm an only child you see hehe. As a special treat for her 23rd birthday, I organised a family lunch at the Oxo Tower. Perked up on the eight floor surrounded by London's scenic views and alongside the Southbank of the River Thames seemed more than perfect for the occasion. The place is complete with a Restaurant, Brasserie and Bar but I went for the Brasserie for a more modern menu for us. There were a lot of exciting dishes to choose from which is always rather difficult. Nevertheless, each dish we were served with was delicious and beautifully presented.

As breathtaking as the views looked during the day, this place would look absolutely amazing at night and I hope one day to come back again to experience this. I most definitely had a lovely time; such lovely company too. I can only hope the birthday girl enjoyed herself.

We also surprised her with some gifts to complete the evening. Together with a huuuuuge bouquet of assorted flowers, we got her a personalised gold necklace with her music name "KYM". For those that don't know, she's a developing singer and songwriter with an EP in the making. 

And...

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Music to my ears

My handmade pink and gold mix card based around her music career with headphones and a microphone.

While your here, do check out her MySpace page for a couple of demos of her tracks she has been working on.

I will be back sooner than you think with a blog about my very own birthday last week. Till then, keep safe and enjoy the rest of the week. 

 

Toodles x

"A bit of stardust blown from the hands of God"

Saturday 2nd July was a very special day; my precious little wonderful, Alaya Chanel Apan (my best friend's baby) was finally baptised. The day was blessed with lovely, warm weather perfected to set the occasion. Babygirl made her presence into Our Lady of Lourdes Church with her beautiful Sarah Louise ivory silk robe with a laced overlay. It was a quick and pleasant ceremony surrounded with close friends and family. I was most delighted to attend this wonderful Christening day but even more gratified to have been given the honour to be one of the godparents.

The proud parents & godparents of Alaya Chanel

Gemma, Mark & Alaya

Alaya, Sean & I

The reception followed soon after at a nearby hall and as successful as most Filipino party usually are, there was food. Plenty of it! A buffet of Filipino cuisine & desserts; you were certainly spoilt for choice.

It was a great day for the little one indeed. Thank you Gem, Mark & Alaya for letting me be a part of it. I love you guys x

My precious God daughter, Alaya x

"May the Lord give His angel charge over you, to guide you in all your ways" 

-Psalm 91:11

Weekend Ramblings

The first weekend of the month of April was most certainly a busy one but definitely a fun one =)

Back in high school, I had a couple of best friends. I probably last saw most of them on my eighteenth debutant party... If I calculate this correctly, over seven years ago. We unintentionally drifted apart; went to university, started working blah blah blah... how life generally goes on. Thankfully, it was time. A certain move I put on my 2011 list, which needed not to be ignored.

The girls, Lina, Alicia & I got together at a lovely, elegant cafe in Knightsbridge called "Cafe Concerto". There are a few chains around, one in Westfields I believe, but this was my first visit. Disguised by the crowds of West London,  it was a nice little place for us to do a whole lot of catching up. Doing that over lunch was just not enough time for us ladies, so we continued our stories over coffee at Harvey Nichols, Fifth Floor Cafe. It was such a pleasant day, we couldn't resist soaking a bit of heat from the sun by sitting outside on the terrace. It was such a pleasure seeing them; both looking fabulous and its always nice to know how well friends are doing right? No time wasted, we're already organising our next day out.

Cafe Concerto, Knightsbridge

Fifth Floor Cafe & Terrace @ Harvey Nics

My day was followed by a big birthday dinner for my close friend JR, at a new place that has just opened up in Beckton, East London. Just by Showcase Cinemas, for those who live in the 'ends' lol. Its called "Big Moe's Diner". Typical 50's American diner - great for burgers, hot dogs & chips, but even better for desserts & milkshakes. I was absolutely stuffed after my fish burger meal. Got to see my favourite faces, ate lots of cake, played charades (girls won, obviously)... its always a laugh!

Big Moe's Dinner, Beckton

Mother's Day fell on the Sunday. I've had this day planned for a while. Although Mum has just had her big party, I couldn't help but spoil her some more and also my Auntie from Philippines. We surprised them with a bunch of flowers; some very unusual ones. Cards and presents also (a lovely pamper day when they please).

Then took them out to a Thai restaurant in the evening; a hidden little gem by the docks: Nakhon Thai. Riverside views, authentic thai decor and the food was absolutely to die for. Succulent meats, seafood upon mild spices, coconut rice all beautifully presented. Cocktails for the girls, and beers for the guys to keep the moods light. The restaurant was also under the Tastecard offers too. It was a very delightful day; family time is always enjoyable.

Nakhon Thai, Royal Docks

"Your arms were always open when I needed a hug.

Your heart understood when I needed a friend.

Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. 

Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly."

 

(A quote I dedicated to all the mothers out there especially to my own)

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Mother's Day cards

My handmade cards for my Mum and Auntie. Floral embossed card decorated with floral embeliishments and ribbon to match.

My weekend was surrounded by friendly faces, even faces from the past, my loved ones and not to forget FOOD... a small taster of a great month ahead. Plus, it is half term in a week afterall (WOO!)

Ten fingers, ten toes =)

On the 21st March, late into the night, we receive a long distance phone call... barely able to hear my Auntie speaking as it was drowned by the cry of a new born baby. She need not to say anything; we knew! We've been awaiting the arrival of this wonderful bundle of joy: 

Miss Ellianna Kidwell

Welcome to the world Babygirl x

My dearest cousin, James and his girlfriend, Keani. We wish we were there to meet her and see you both. But until then, from your family here in London, we are so proud of you and miss you so much. Good Luck & God Bless your new family. 

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Babygirl card

Handmade bottle cut card in pink, ready and flown back with my Auntie & Uncle (from Colorado Springs) in time for the arrival.