Nicka Gracia

Best Friend Is Now MARRIED!

Ah, the long wait is now finally over. My best friend finally ~~walked~~ ran down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams. Since 22 of this month, December, I am staying at my hometown Balayan, Batangas and her wedding is one my reasons why I am excited for my stay here.

So without further ado, let me present to you The Wedding. :) More photos to follow! (grab these from my good friend of mine, Maneth. Thank you, Netz)

Inside the car. :)

With my high school friends! :) The gang!

Congratulations!

Congratulations again, Wyng and Len! Wishing you all the love and happiness! You know naman na the extent of my love to both you, right? Congratulations, with all my heart! ¬ Paper hoarder/Misadventurer!

The Next Big Thing

I was tagged by my friend Melanie Esguerra, so here I am blogging about my next big thing. LOL

The Next Big Thing, is like an assignment to writers, an online activity to promote or simply discuss an upcoming work. If a writer tags you about this then you need to answer the following questions.

And here’s my assignment…

1) What is the working title of your next book?

I'm working on different manuscripts as of the moment. Haha. Currently, I'm working on 4 manuscripts. haha. The first one is the last installment of the FAG (Fresh Art Group) girls. It is Lupe's story, I started FAG girls's story last 2010, I think. Second one, Bethsaida, A Bride Wannabe. Halfway done with her story. yay! Third one is the first installment for a series. And the last one is for our assignment last PHR's brainstorming. Hopefully, I can finish them all before February. Talk about self-imposed deadline, huh? :)

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

First book- I got my plot's idea from an art gallery situated in Antipolo (Pinto Art Gallery) and also, to my group-mates when I attended a writing workshop.

Second book- It is a spin off from my last approved manuscript, "The Runaway Bride's Keeper."

Third book- Got the idea from a telenovela La Madrasta. It is a Spanish soap-opera.

Fourth book- The idea was suggested by the person who tagged me about this post. lol.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Romance.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Madami sila. hahaha!

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

One sentence, huh? Ahm... uhm... p'wedeng to follow na lang? ^_^

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be published under Precious Hearts Romances and My Special Valentines as for the third book.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

For the first book it took me eight months! Second book, it took me a month, third one was I think, more than two months. And for my last book, I was working on the draft while writing it. Hahaha. gulo ko lang talaga.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Like, Gypsy said, no idea. For the third book, I think it will be compared to telenovelas nowadays.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Heartaches. LOL

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Makakatotohanan na ang heartaches. haha

Now Tagging: Elise Estrella and Penny Yuan ^_^

Best Friend Is Getting MARRIED!

I intend to blog this for quite sometime now but never got the perfect timing, so now, I think this is the perfect time to blog immensely about this matter. Yes, finally, MY BEST FRIEND IS GETTING MARRIED! Two weeks from now she would walk down the aisle and say her "I do". It was last May of this year when she told me the news about her wedding. I was excited and ecstatic by the news of course, so excited that I even blurted out, "Paano nag-propose si Wyng?" Then happily she chuckled and answered me, "Walang nangyaring ganoon noh. Basta napag-usapan na lang. Saka hindi na naman tayo bumabata." I must be lingering on the romantic side of me about wedding proposal and all but hearing her say those words I felt that my best friend was more mature than I. Nasaan na ang maturity ko? Asan? HAHA

Going back to my story, I've known Len since high school. We're inseparable. Finding true friend is tough, maybe I've been so good in my past life that God blessed me a good person. Our friendship had its ups and downs, time tested how strong we are and luckily, by God's grace we've been best friends up to this moment. *kahit na lagi mo niya akong tinutulugan sa gitna ng chikahan session namin late in the evening* I've witnessed their love story, countless times that I've witnessed how time and trials tested their relationship, but despite all those their love conquered all. So, I am so honored to accept being their matron of honor. Kahit na ibig sabihin ay aalilain nila ako on their wedding day. huhu. And because I love them so much I am more than willing to be their alipin. haha.

As they step to the next adventure of their life, let me share bits of their step before the big day!

I've been with her in searching for that perfect wedding gown. :)
But none of these made it to the finals, este, to her actual wedding gown. :) Her gown is so beautiful. *insert envious look here*

Hair and make-up trial. But I so bet that on her wedding day she's blooming and radiant as expected a bride will be.

And yes, this hoarder/misadventurer took the risk of being their photographer on their pre-nup. But I can't make it on my own so I asked my friend/former supervisor for his creativity and talent. His photos was way, way better than mine. LOL

They look so in love! <3

Behind the scene

Sweet but shy couple. *naks*

"Love is God's finest work of art."
-I do by Marie Digby and Jericho Rosales

I wanted to post tons of picture of them here, seriously. Love radiated through them. Getting married is not a game and neither just a word. As Kind Vidor said, Marriage is not a word, it is a sentence. I remember that this line was also used in a film. Likewise, marriage is sacred. It reflects what God taught us, to share His gift, love. We are reminded that more than ever marriage is not only between them or the people around them. It is about the celebration of God's love.

For Wyng and Len, you know how I always says that I wish you both all the happiness in life. Just be patient with each other and learn to listen unto what each of you would say, ALWAYS. :) Let God be the center of your relationship. Let His blessing be the foundation of this marriage. And siyempre, continue to love each other until you are both old na. I know that you compliment with each other, with rare gift of patience, understanding and love. HAHA. I love you both! Cheers!

Look at us!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

BEING 26

Just like many of my posts here, this is an overdue blog. I am supposed to sleep right now but as of the moment thoughts and different emotions run to my mind. And so it leads me to writing this.

Why I'm pushing the topic? It's because I AM NOW 26! It's been more than a month now since my birthday and I planned to write this as I hit 26 years old. The title bugged me for a while and been on my mind for quite sometime now. In my twenty-six years of my existence what did I contribute to this world? What did life taught me? The answer hit me hard. Months before I turned 26, my life turned upside down, I turn away to the old me and began exploring the changing self. Inspecting every bits of me, calculating every emotions hidden inside of me. These past few months I felt like riding a roller-coaster with my emotions at stake. I've been through ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs until it exhaust my heart. I quit my 5-year work in a multi-media company, my health failed (slightly) and I had my heart broken :(. And why am I telling all these? I just wanted to unload this pain inside me and this is the only way I know of. Life taught me to be strong, experience taught me to be brave and heartaches taught me to be tough. I am now learning to be really independent. And to all of these, it leads me to a stronger faith in God. For this reason, I want to thank you ( I know you know who you are). I don't want to live life with this growing pain and bitterness inside of me, I know if I harbor on this pain, it will eat me up then I will become a bitter person. I know you deserve more than what you prayed for, you are a good man. I know God wrote down our story the way it was happening right now to teach us both something we are not aware of. Through this blog/letter I wanted to express my apologies if I said/done something that hurt you. Please understand that I'm in pain in those moment and I know that you were in agony as well. We shared so many memories, all of which I will cherish my whole life and forever be grateful for. You've been my friend, my better half, my adviser, my second father. I want to thank you for teaching a lot of things in life, for always being there when I need you most, for always listening to me when I thought nobody would want to hear all my rants. Thank you for saving me countless times. Thank you for sharing a part of your life, your friends, your family to me. And most of all thank you for leading and introducing me to Him. I may not fathom the reason behind all of these by now but I know in time we both will.

At this period of my life I am trying to figure out what I really want in my life, after being devastated and feeling shattered. I was trying to discover what God's plan for me. Trying hard to focus on His will and the greater promise for me because I am His precious daughter. You can't really put your security into a relationship, you have to lift it up all to Him. Yeah, yeah, your head must be spinning na by this time. Why am I talking in riddles? Why can't I get to the point? That I can't really answer. :( I am really just typing aimlessly, unloading these words. I am feeling great pain, I am in great pain. And I don't where to start to prevent my heart from breaking apart. I tried so hard to mask all these pain to a fake smile. But sometimes no matter how hard you fake a smile you can't deceive yourself. You can't really fake what you feel.

I know that I can get pass through all this by His grace and wisdom. I know in time, in His perfect time I can smile with all my heart. I can face the world with a new self. But right now this hoarder is busy picking up her heart's broken pieces through God's guidance. Sorry if no crafts update, misadventure stories and all lately. But believe me na-ipon na sila.

photo credits to Google.

Ahhhh! I should really sleep, call time at 6 in the morning and it's already 2 am. And oh, a bit of good news to lighten up the mood I set earlier, this misadventurer/hoarder is no longer a bum as of the moment. Yeah, got an eight-to-five job now. Thank you for reading this long post.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

Happy Birthday, Rio! A suuuupppperrrr late greeting!

This is suppppeerrrr late post! Just wanted to share what I've created for such a lovely person. It's no other than my friend Rio. :) She's my former office mate/buddy/confidante and most of all my shopping buddy! We spend most of our time talking with each other almost everyday when I was still in my former company. lol. I miss her a lot these days! Belated happy birthday, Rio!

You know naman what's my wish for you, right? More travel and years to come for us! <3

With her at CrossWinds, Tagaytay!

Tagline: You can always hold on to a friend! <3

For her!

An unconventional card! Made from scrap folder and magazines.

From All About Scrapbooking. <3

When a smart, young woman sets out to do something...

she's going to do it.

Happy birthday again, Rio! Love you! :)

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Happy Halloween!

BOOOOOO!!!!

Okay, this is a pahabol post. In a few hours we're all going home. Batangas, here we come! :) This is my way of celebrating Halloween. Stitch that nails. woohooo! See, how twisted this hoarder's mind is.

Another nail art craze! :)

And this is my feet!

Another victim! hoho

Cute Potpurri burner. :) <3

See for only 29. 75.

Happy Halloween! <3

KOMIKON 2012

Unfortunately for me, I didn't get the chance to attend the summer Komikon last May. Sayang kasi I was so excited and so prepared by that time. I even had in mind the stuff and comics that I would buy. But mumps strike and forbid me to go. :(

Luckily another Komikon! Yay! Sabi siguro kawawa naman ang mga hindi nakapunta bigyan natin ng chance. haha. I am happy but at the same time worried because sadly my budget this time was soooo limited that I end up drooling on those indi-comics for our last stop. Bakit kasi huli na namin na-discover ang indi-tiange. :( Di bale babawi na lang ulit ako next year! Despite that, this hoarder/misadventurer is too happy to share her passio for comics. If only kids these days still have the same passion and excitement when I saw comics lying around our house when I was littlle. Ah, how can I forget Funny Comics. :)

And of course, I'm with my fellow comics-fan Lenlen. We also met Melai there and Mommy Corne. Sayang lang walang table ang Cat's Trail this time. And oh, we met a cool guy/professor who creates this cute comics. Lenlen bought his works naki-share na lang ako sa pagbasa. Haha.

My Komikon experience is not complete without Superman.

Finally!

In love with their packaging!

Sabi nga ni Ate ma-i-i-stress ka sa dami ng free! Lol
I just bought the Salmon Komiks and those are free!

One True Love! <3

What I hoard!

'Til next Komikon, folks! :)

24

Old school style of writing. Yes, I am back to pen and paper kid! :)
Trivia: I just finished a manuscript just by manually writing every scene. LOL

Warning: This is a continuous blabbering. Read at your own risk. ^_^ Also, this has nothing to do with Jack Bauer's 24. :)

If you only have 24 hours to live, what will you do?

Ah, this question still lingers in my mind up to this moment. I tagged along with my fellow VG-mate to her other group and they were doing an in-depth discussion about an ongoing series titled "THE END" which is now on its third week. Anyhoo, we've been asked to answer this question: If you only have 24 hours to live in this world, what will you do?

I've been itching to answer a famous line, "I would like to pray for world peace." (Miss Universe na Miss Universe lang ang peg ko) LOL. But Rhona did that for me, she answered that she would be praying for world peace. Which lead to another question, "Ano? You'll be praying for 24 hours?" And then after a moment of chaos, we answered seriously na. My turn came. In an instant I answered that I will write my entire life in that one day. (O, ha! Hemmingway/Frost lang ang drama!)

I admit that I am not a very good writer, I suck at grammar, big time. What keeps me going is that I love to write. I write anything that pops into my mind almost anywhere. I write when I am sad, I write when I am happy, I write when I am depressed. I write. Just give me a pen and a paper and I'll survive the entire day. (Coffee is a plus.) Up to this time, whenever someone ask me what my job is, I am too shy to admit that I am a writer. Dahil minsan alam ko na ang kasunod ng tanong, "Saan ka nagsusulat? Malaki ba ang kita diyan?" Or sometimes worst reaction is, they will look at you as if saying, "Ah, another weirdo." LOL

I quit working because I believe that this is my calling. God let me out of my comfort zone to share my thoughts to other people. If I made other people happy through my works, I think it's just a bonus. I only wanted to share a part of me with them hoping that one way or another they will learn something from what I wrote. (or sometimes I want them to be entertained.) It's been a privilege that He gave me this gift, the power of pen. Thus, it's been said that pen is mightier than a sword.

If in 24 hours I'll be able to write my own story, my life, into one book I think it will be hilarious. LOL. And heck, who will buy this hoarder's book? LOL. But I always believe that life is a continuous learning and what teaches us best is our experience. Clearly, what I've experienced was just a tiny fraction of what other people have gone through. But I am hoping that if ever when that time comes and I'll be able to write my own experience, I just hope that it will be a blessing for someone. Sana kahit paano may matutunan sila sa lahat ng kabaliwan at kabalbalan ko. :))

Also, I think that everyone of us have the ability to write. Minsan nga lang hindi natin mahagilap ang tamang salita para sa ating nararamdaman. And sometimes when they aked me about writer's tip and how should they start writing, my only monotonous answer is: Simply just write. Write from the bottom of your heart. All of us are writers and God is our precious editor and at the same time publisher. You just have to grab that pen He has given you and start writing. :)

"Each one, as a good manner of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God."

1 Peter 4:10

The Wonders of Pila, Laguna

For quite some time I lost the sole purpose of this blog but upon contemplating and rereading my blog's title I always find my way back, so here I am sharing another adventure. Which by the way happens months ago.

I've been to Laguna twice this year, first stop was at Pagsanjan and Liliw, then UP Los Banos and Pila, Laguna. But this adventure was I must say a memorable one, too. The only misadventure I encountered this time was that I didn't bring my toothbrush with me and just realized this when I'm about to sleep. LOL. Pila is one of the most peaceful town I've been through. Their town were surrounded with green rice fields and a lot of trees! Pila has its own charm, luring you to walk at its streets and appreciating these old houses which still boast its grandeur. Ah, how I miss the urban life! So let me share to you a bit about this adventure. :)

My friend Czeila invited me to stay in their house for more than two days. (Thank you again, Czei. You know how thankful I am, right? ^_^) The plan was to hike Mt. Makiling but unfortunately we chickened out as her friend who is an expert mountaineer warned us about the terrain. Plus the fact that there's only the two of us braving the hike. So we cancelled the plan and devise another one. The adventure: JOGGING! yay! We woke up, I mean, Czeila woke up earlier than we plan while on the other hand, this misadventurer have to literally slap herself to wake up. Waking up early is one of my waterloo. And so we braved the morning chill and headed at UP LB. And hey, the adventure begins! :)

At 6 in the morning! :)

According to Czeila this is the fertility tree! :)

old houses! I adore them so much!

Pila Church!

Thank you so much, Czei and Pobre Family for adopting me. And introducing me to the wonders of Pila.

Babalik ako para sa Makiling trek, promise!

26 Wishes!

This paper hoarder made this paper!
Vintage!

26 Wishes!

My birthday is near approaching! Another year will be added at my age, four years more and I'll be 30. Onti na lang wala na ako sa kalendaryo. My friend and I shared same sentiments, "Anong nangyari sa anim na taon ng buhay natin? Bakit parang ang bilis?" Haha. But no, I'm not really complaining now, in fact I am very much excited for my birthday. As my sister complained, lagi ka namang excited. :) Thus, I made my wishlist! Talking about excitement, huh?

Misadventurer's 26 wishes

1. World peace.- I know. I know. Pang-Miss Universe ang wish ko. But hey, it's not too much to ask and pray for world peace. Imagine living a world full of love. ;)

2. Bible (NLT)- I do have Bible given by D. And I wanted to have another copy NLT version naman. For some personal reason though. ^_^

3. Books- Sorry, booklover here! hehe. And a hoarder, too.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater Rhodes

4. Letter/Paper/Notebook- to add the increasing numbers of things I hoard. lol

5. Colored Pen/pencil

6. Crafting tools- Any tools will do. haha Hindi naman ako choosy.

7. Spend time with children in an orphanage- This has been my dream since I was in college.

8. Bicycle

9. Portable Sewing Machine- What can I say I'm domesticated. lol.

10. Nail polish/Nail art stuff- pagbigyan na, ngayon lang ako nagdadalaga eh.

11. FROG STUFF! (anything na may design na frog)

12. Cute buttons- and by the time I reached 12, I thought that having 26 wishes is easy. Hindi pala.

13. Fabric.

14. Superman Comics- specifically Funeral For A Friend 1 and 4) sila na lang ang wala ko to complete the Series)

15. Snow globe.

16. Map- LOL. para hindi na ako naliligaw.

17. Spend the day laughing! :)

18. Washi Tapes

19. Coffeemaker- I'm a certified coffee addict! Kaya kong itumba ang limang tasa ng kape sa isang araw.

20. Yay! We're on number 20 na! Nail Art Party! hoho

21. Arabica coffee or better yet take me to Sagada once again.

22. Earrings- wanted to find that perfect pair for me.

23. Bookshelf

24. SLR!

25. A surprise!!! :)

26. And lastly, greetings and prayers! :)

And I'm off to work again. Haha! Matapos mag-wish trabaho ulit. LOL

Last Saturday: A Birthday Affair!

Photo credits to MSV FB page

I started my writing adventure with Bookware year 2007 and from then on they adopted the eccentric me. :) I met and made a lot of friends through them. Most, I met through Multiply, another social networking site, and I'll be forever thankful having them in my life. Though Multiply world will end but not the bond I made through it.

I'm always thankful that I've met the Multiply Diyosas! :)

I just want to express how grateful I am having the three of you in my life; Ate Elise, Ate Gette and Ate Doreen! I am blessed finding friends like you these days. The world is given a wonderful gift through your talents, beauty and genuine generosity! :) From the bottom of my heart I love you Ate Elise, Ate Gette, and Miss Doreen! :) God bless you always! :)

Yay! Birthday! Birthday!!!

The birthday girls. :)

Happy happy birthday Ate Gette! I <3 you!
Sayang wala akong pic together with Ate Elise and Ate Doreen. :(

We shared the hat! :)

And I won this on their game! lol.
Bibo kid lang ang peg. :))

Cheers to more boys este manuscripts! :) Happy Birthday again! :)

FOR SALE!

As much as I want to keep all of my books, I need to let go some of them. Feel free to PM or text me if you're interested to the books posted below. Of course, you'll handle the shipping fee. Or I can do meet-up (basta sa mayroong MRT lang. hehe)

Letting Go lol

books!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
P100 (hardbound, in good condition)
SOLD (Thank you, Kath!)

Torment by Lauren Kate
P150 (hardbound, in super good condition)
SOLD (Thank you, Kath) :)

Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos
P75 (paperback, in good condition)
SOLD (Thank you, Kath) :)

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
P75 (paperback, in good condition)
SOLD (thank you, Lex!) :)

Oliver's Story by Erich Segal
trivia: This is a good book. Sa sobrang ganda dalawa ang copy ko so I have to let go this one.
P50
SOLD (thank you, Ate's officemate) :)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Another trivia: This is sooooo inspiring! :)
P100
SOLD (thank you, Ate's officemate) :)

God bless!