| Nicka Gracia

All About Bookmarks!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas weather because it is colder in this time of the year. Plus everyone is ready to greet you with a big smile. But is it not better to treat everyday as Christmas? :)

And oh, another thing about this season is that it hones my sleeping creativity. Or may be I'm just stingy. LOL. But I always wanted to add something personal to my gifts. I wanted to wrap it myself, to choose every gift according to personalities of my my friends and family.

And let me share what I've done for my officemates this year. And you can guess it right. I've made lots of bookmarks again! This has been becoming an obsession.

First set of bookmarks given to my fellow writers and dear readers last PHR booksigning in SM Manila.

I bought a set of popsicle and decided to turn it into a bookmark.

I think this is a popsicle sticks.

For my bookmark design, I prepared my colorful designed papers All About Scrapbooking gave me on one of its event. :) Thank you, All About Scrapbooking!

I chose variety of beautiful designs!

I glued the popsicle stick into the paper and cut it.

My finish product with love!

This paper hoarder having the time of her life cutting paper! <3

And tada! My first batch of bookmarks!

And for my second batch of bookmarks! These are for my officemates!

Art Attack's colored sticks! Who would forget that big Art Attack, huh?

this is craft-love!

Add a little design on the top to achieve the funky look!

Buttons and large clips!

Bookbinder! :) Will blog about this cutie binder soon. ^_^

And these are all bookmarks! :)

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." ~Ephesians 2:10

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

Feet On The Go!

As I browsed through my photos I noticed that I have several photos of my feet with someone. Hindi ko alam kung nagiging obsession na ito! Haha!

This was taken, uhm, sorry can't remember. LOL. With my friend/office mate, Melanie Esguerra. We wore the same sandals. Pero hindi kami nag-usap!

Heading to Quezon Ave. Then SM North, as always.

With Boss. After 6 years, we came back to Star City.

Star City 11-24-13

With Melai. We will never be that chic. Haha! Matching our dress and skirt with rubber shoes! Epic!

Inside Fully Booked! Comfort place!

Attending my best friend's son's Christening.

Brown to brown! At St. Michael Church in Fort Bonifacio.

With Batman! LOL Diandrei's 7th Birthday!

Jolibee Tanza!

Lastly, this misadventurer's feet bound to Singapore!

Bound to Singapore! Taken last March! <3

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

I'm 27 and It's Cool!

Just last weekend I celebrated Holiday with my folks in Batangas. And being the hands-on Tita that I am, I take my niece with me everywhere I go. Everybody adores her. And along with their admiration and happiness comes the dreading statement reminding me that I am not getting any younger: “Ikaw kailan ka mag-aasawa?” And I just laughed and shrugged.

Yesterday, I turned 27. And how do I feel being 27? Actually, I feel great. I feel cool. I feel blessed. And most especially I feel loved. Just as I woke up I smiled, prayed and thanked God of all the things He’s been given me. For so many times, I prayed for so many things. I always looked at my life thinking what’s been missing yet I never see what’s been there, and always been there.

This year, my birthday came without anything neither real fanfare nor grand preparation. I am blessed to be greeted by friends and few took tremendous effort to call me from different parts of the globe. And through that I am constantly reminded that distance is not a hindrance in friendship or the time you’re apart from each other. I am humbly reminded that through everything I will get through I will always have my family with me.

The Surprise.

Unlike my previous birthdays, this year, I wanted nothing but to stay at home. The only thing I asked was a birthday cake, just that simple. But as the day ended I received not only a cake but a wonderful surprise. It turned out that my sister planned to get me out of the house (I went with her to get my niece’s passport) in able to fulfill their surprise. They secretly ordered food, in which arrived in my presence without me noticing it. I believed my cousin when she told me that she was waiting for her classmate outside our gate. Ate secretly invited few relatives. She even connived with ‘Boss’ in letting me believe that he was in Batangas when in fact he’s inside our house. And why didn't I notice all these, huh? Maybe because I was not that little girl any more wanting those grand things. ^_^ Their love is enough to let me feel that it is indeed the most wonderful birthday I ever had. So thank you Ate for organizing a perfect surprise! Thank you, Boss, for giving me the most memorable message ever. Thank you, Mama, Mommy and Papa for giving me your utmost support, unconditional love and panlalaglag ever. The gang, Mama Jo, my cousins and relatives, thank you, thank you!

Ate, Our angel Miel and Moi

Birthday cake which I coaxed them to buy

With Ate Ceng and Miel

Boss, Papa, Kuya Edward, Ate Che, Ej and Ate Ceng

Laiza, Mama Elsa, Moi, Bianca and Miel

The repeat. :)

With Boss and Papa

The alter-ego.

I always thank God for giving me the talent in writing, for giving me the opportunity to bring happiness to other people. Being Nicka Gracia opens a lot of opportunity for me. I met a lot of people, I made new friends, I create my own fortress. Words are not enough to express how thankful I am to all the greetings sent to me. I can never thank all of those who took time and effort to post something on my FB wall. I am so touched and overwhelmed by those greetings. I never thought that I will make it this far, I just wanted to write. Your greetings brought me in tears. But God always find His way to let us know that we are indeed a present to the world. From the bottom of my heart thank you po.

Birthday Reflection.

photo from Google

My birthday was a day of reflection with both gifts and challenges. It made me think what I did in the past 26 years of my life. It made me count all those blessings and be thankful enough that with every day God gave me an opportunity to be a blessing to others. Yesterday was also the day to not only remember the many losses that are imprinted on my heart, but to celebrate my life. Future is unexpected, we may have so many detours to reach God’s main purpose, but we must be reminded that He ‘always’ prepares the best for us. Today may not be what we expected it to be but that’s okay. In order to grow we sometimes need to experience unfathomable things. Life will not always be the most wonderful fairy tale we want it to be, but it can be the most wonderful fairy tale God want it to be. Thank you, Lord, for giving another year! I love you, Lord!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11, NLV

"And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:3

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

Wedding Bells

I am so blessed to witness how God weave my friends' love story. Last year my best friend married the man of her dreams. She married her college sweetheart. And last June my elementary best friend married her long-time boyfriend. And now my former office mate/office buddy/partner in crime/ and a dear friend will soon walk down the aisle. *and I think I just said this line more than a year ago. haha!*

She asked my help to scout for prospective wedding dress. So last Sunday we braved Divisoria to look for one. We both enjoyed ourselves talking to different wedding suppliers and siyempre trying on different wedding gowns. Ay, siya lang pala ang nagtry.

But there was this one gown that really caught my attention! Here!!!

It was not that grand nor there was nothing so special in the way it was presented yet I fell in love with it. It has this traditional feel. Nagulat ako kasi iba ang nasa isip kong wedding gown ko when I get married yet I can't help but to keep on looking at this gown. I even took photo of it in different angles. Ha-ha!

See, I told you, nothing really special but.... but... gaaahh! Okay, never mind my senseless mumbling! Will post soon about my friend's wedding! :)

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

After Hibernation

Miss me? LOL I miss myself, too! Really, I miss blogging. Been neglecting this site for almost three months now and I feel so guilty. Nonetheless, here’s a recap of what I did these past few months.

An angel was born. Meet my beautiful niece, Darmainne Miel A. Concubierta. Since she was born our world revolves around her now. She amazes us with her small antics. Sabi ko nga, kahit yata titigan ko lang siya maghapon kaya ko. So there, this hoarder is a proud Tita!

My beautiful niece, Darmainne Miel <3

I now have a lot of “to-read” books. And hunting for more books that I desperately wanted to have! So many book so little time. LOL I really should refrain from entering bookshops.

My laptop died on me.

After four years, ngayon lang siya namatay.

Good news, as of this moment my cousin told me that it was now fixed! Yay! Yay! She's been with me for four years now, and yes, I considered her a 'girl'. At hindi pa yata kakayanin ng kalooban ko if I have to give her up. Not now...

I discovered my art works, na nabaon na yata ng mahigit isang dekada.

Been to MIBF (Manila International Bookfair) with matching my own book signing pa! Chos! Ha-ha

And these past few days I am busy organizing my niece’s

Christening! I’m so excited about this! ^_^

Sticker for invites! <3

For her DIY guestbook! :) Will blog about this soon.

Souvenir! Memo clip

Also, a DIY decoupage. ^_^

And let me leave you with a smile from our angel, Mielly! :)

Hello, my name is Darmainne Miel. I am now two months old.

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

And Why Can't I Move On?

Nope, I am not going to talk about moving on from a heartache/heartbreak, this question (Why can't I move on?) has been bugging me for days now. And yeah, I can't move on. :( I can't move on from one chapter to another. I can't write a single scene for my new manuscript. Hence, I therefore conclude, NG is experiencing what you call 'writer's block'.

Photo credits to Google

Still stuck at Chapter One. :(

And I remember this book I bought years ago.

Photo by NG

Here are some helpful tips when you're experiencing writer's block:

1. Watch romantic movies or television shows that are somehow connected to your plot.

2. Read your favorite author's work or any reading material that might help you with your story.

3. Exercise. Physical activity releases tension and helps increase blood flow to the brain.

4. Write something else, say an essay or a letter for someone.

5. Try something new like writing a scene by hand or writing outdoors.

(How To Write A Tagalog Romance Novel by Apple Masallo. p. 57)

Above all these isa na lang ang hindi ko pa nasusubukan. ANG MAG-EXERCISE! LOL. Hmm, I should really run again. Jogging buddy, anyone? ^_^

Photo credits to Google

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

Baler: Day 2

We wanted to watch the sunrise the following day that we set our alarm at five am. Pero ang bilis sumikat ng araw sa Baler! Nagmamadali. When we opened our door the sun was already up and shining above us. Why, Sunshine, why? Oh, well, after we ate our breakfast we headed for another tour.

Our first stop: The Balete Tree!

This tree is soooooo huge and sooooo tall. As in ang laki-laki niya. Len and I wanted to climb it but didn't happen. You need a guide in able to reach the top of the tree, which by the way, I think is an enormous task. And because we really wanted to climb those roots and branches, kiber kung walang guide, we bravely struggle our way up. I thought I can climb so easy because I grew up in province (Balayan, Batangas) where climbing was just a piece of cake. And I can climb a tree! Pero iba pala ang mango tree sa Balete tree. Haha! Ang hiraaaapppp! I didn’t got the chance to climb higher because my feet were trembling and I was so afraid that I might fall. Kaya umupo na lang ako.

Summer girls!

Sige, kapit, NG! Kapit!

Our Second stop: Mother Falls

As our guide said, “Kung hindi mo napuntahan ang Mother Falls parang hindi ka nagpunta ng Baler.” The trek was, I think, twenty minutes or more or maybe longer. Malalaki ang bato kaya we opted to walk. But it’s rewarding after those long trek. Look at proud Mother Falls!

And us, Summer Girls spent Mother’s Day in Mother Falls! Happy Mother’s Day, Mother Falls. ^_^ Very timely, huh?

The water was so cold and we all shiver. Haha. But nonetheless, we all enjoyed Mother falls.

our third stop: Surfing, Again!

And yay! We surf again! Kala mo mga hindi sumakit ang katawan. Salamat, Alaxan at Salonpas. J Because we’re not really first timers (proud na proud) we immediately hit the beach and began catching waves. See, may photos na kami! Haha. (‘Eto talaga ang purpose ng pagsu-surf naming ulit.)

Thank you, Charliedoes!

Ehem!

Miss Gypsy Esguerra

Allie Sia Alonzo

Wilhelmina and Ashlene Javier!

We have to thank our ever patient instructor from Charliedoes! Salamat po ng maraming-marami sa pagti-tiyagang magturo sa amin kahit katanghaliang tapat kami lang ang nagpapakatusta sa araw! LOL

By 3pm we were boarded a Baler-Cabanatuan van, after we grabbed a quick lunch (Lunch na ba ang Buy 1 take 1 na burger ngayon at Coke? Haha). And from Cabanatuan, we transferred to a bus heading to Pasay. Despite our aching muscles, bruises and sun-kissed skin, we definitely enjoyed Baler! Baka sa next trip natin ‘yung chill na trip na lang, pahinga muna sa pagpaparusa ng katawan as per Melai’s words. Haha!

Til our next trip, girls! Hooray for Baler!

Our budget: probably around 1000 (because we surf again) LOL

Itinerary: 5am-7am- Good morning, sunshine! (failed) Freshen-up

7am-8:30 am- breakfast

8:30-11:45- tour (Balete Tree and Mother Falls)

11:45-12:45 (again or past 12:45)- SURF!

1pm-2:30pm- pack-up

2:45- bound to Cabanatuan (quick lunch na din)

Thank you, Summer! Thank you, Lord, for such blessings! <3

Posted by
The Adventurer/Paper Lover

All About Bookmarks!

Feet On The Go!

I'm 27 and It's Cool!

Wedding Bells

After Hibernation

And Why Can't I Move On?

Baler: Day 2

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