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Thursday, January 5, 2017

My One Word for This Year

It's another year and another set of goals to look forward to.
I'm not good with resolutions so I decided to have one word to focus on and live by for this year. This is the first time that I'm going to do it and I know it'll be worth a shot.
The last few weeks of 2016 was pretty rough for my family, especially for my daughter CL. I choose this word for this year to remind my self to be optimistic - that no matter what, everything's going to be okay.

BELIEVE
First off, is for me to believe in the Lord's plans for me, for us, and for my family.
Believe in myself, my talent, and my skills.
Believe in what my capabilities can do and how far I will go with it.
Believe in my goals and my plans, and on how to achieve it.
Believing that I would be able to conquer whatever my heart desires.
Believe in healing - for my daughter and for the family.
Believe in optimism.
And as I believe in my one word for this year, I wish us all a bright and cheerful 2017!

Sunday, January 1, 2017

A Glimpse of My 2016

CL transferred to a different school. It's a bit far from home but I like the school better than the first one. Although, her first few weeks were a bit rough, with all the bullying and stuff, everything is smooth and well now especially with her new classmates. And along with it, I became more devoted on my pre-schooler. I really enjoyed preparing her school stuff everyday and discovered her learning capabilities.

CL's learning the Visayan dialect now and I'm really amazed that she's learning fast. She's even more adept than her dad. Lol!

CL had an accident that injured her right arm. I'll right about it more in the next few days. She also lost her two bottom front teeth and finally welcomed her first pair of permanent teeth.

I took a set back on making fabric flowers and focused more on practicing my calligraphy skills. I tried different writing medium and discovered I'm more in love with dip pens and watercolors.

Me, my daughter, and especially by husband has finally adjusted our life in this small island of Bohol.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Hello, October!

It's been a while and it's October already.

Seems like yesterday as they say, but time really flies by so fast.

In case you want to know what I've been up too lately, here's a little update about me.

♥ CL's a big girl now. I'm blessed to have a very smart girl like her. She's been doing well in her class and she's still driving me crazy with her daily antics.

♥ I've done a revamp with all my Instagram accounts - @niaandbella will be solely dedicated to my online shop, all pictures and other stuff were deleted especially the lettering challenges I joined. I created @aine.garcia on the other hand, which is now associated with this blog. There you will find snapshots, my lettering and anything in between my interests.
***2018 update: I'm back to @niaanbella again! It's easier that way. Lol!

♥ I'm in the middle of fabric flower production. I've made a few pieces already and about to make more. Also, now I will single-handedly take care of all the sales and marketing and I think it's about time to make headpieces for kids and grown ups too. I'll be opening my online shop anytime soon, as Christmas is just around the corner.

♥ I'm back to KDramas once again! I've had sleepless but wonderful nights because of them. I'm done with Pinocchio, She Was Pretty, Doctors, Uncontrollably Fond, and about to finish W - Two Worlds and Cinderella and Four Knights. But since it's taking up my time, I'm not going to watch new ones yet and focus on Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo instead. This way, I can properly manage my time and still work with my blog and fabric flowers every day.

♥ I'm back to joining giveaways again. I soooo missed receiving prizes! *wink*

That's it for now. I hope you had a nice September like I do and may we have a blessed October ahead of us.

Friday, January 1, 2016

A Glimpse of My 2015 - Happy New Year!!!

2015 was a very chaotic and crazy, yet FUN year for me. Here's how my year went through.. ^_^

Me, hubby, and my daughter relocated from the urban to my mother's hometown.

The hardest adjustment ever with our current setup - hubby comes home every rest days.

I have a preschooler now, which is fun by the way. She learns from school and I learn from her too - patience in teaching, reviewing, and helping her out with her assignments AND writing.. ^_^

Contemplating on how to sell my crafts considering the expensive fees of couriers here.

Stopped joining giveaways for months, means lesser prizes won. But I'm joining again now! Crossing my fingers that luck is still with me. *grins*

Stopped blogging for months as well because of all the adjustments and stuff. Instead, I focused more on paid blogging opportunities.

I found a new love in modern calligraphy. Practice, practice, and more practice!

.. and watercolors

.. and planners as well. Oh, just like the old days!

That's it! I'm not gonna give details anymore because for sure it will be a loooooonngg post. But there's only 1 thing that I'm wishing for this year, and that is to have a MORE crazier and fun year ahead regardless of the bumps that I might encounter. *smiles*

Happy 2016!!!

Saturday, November 28, 2015

I WAS a smoker

I want to share to you about my life as a smoker, and how a little girl changed it all. :)

How it started

At 2002, I succumbed to a very unhealthy lifestyle. It was during my last year on college when I learned how to smoke. At first, it was just a stick. Then it became two. I told myself that I would only smoke after eating lunch with friends. I promised myself that I will not buy a pack because I will only be tempted to smoke even more. But then I lied, I broke all the promises I made to myself; until it became a bad habit to break. I became a chain smoker.

Because it was cool

There was no peer pressure at all, nobody encouraged me to smoke. It was a decision that I made alone. But I admit, I thought it was cool being with friends who smoke, I felt that I belong, I was showing off. I felt like I was a tough girl; that I can do what guys could do. I don’t care what other people think of me, I don’t care if I set a bad example to kids who passes by where me and my friends hang out to smoke. I was PROUD.

The habit

When I woke up, I smoke. Before I eat, I smoke. After I eat, I smoke. When I’m bored, I smoke. When I’m stressed, I smoke. When I’m taking a bath, I smoke. When I’m mad, I smoke. When I can’t sleep, I smoke. Before I sleep, I still smoke. It’s like everything I do, I smoke. Smoking became more frequent when I started working; I found friends who shared the same habit with me, it became one of our bonding sessions. Smoking too became our stress reliever during the 15-minute and lunch breaks. However, it became worst when I got promoted; I can have small trips to the smoking area when I want to, I own my time. I also had a senior who was also a heavy smoker, she would always ask me to accompany her and would happily join her puffing out those cancer stick.

An open secret

Friends, classmates, relatives who are close to me and people in our house knew that I smoke, I trusted them with my open secret. Though, my mother is a smoker and my father was a smoker, still I don't want them to know that I was smoking, especially my father. However, since my mom is a smoker, she noticed it eventually; but there were no talks or confrontations whatsoever.

The health

Ironically, I didn't get cough and colds that much when I began smoking. I was amazed, until I started to feel the effects of smoking. I was starting to have a smoker’s cough, I was gasping for air when I ran up and down the stairs. But what seems to be the most difficult was when I was having shortness of breath; I cannot fill my lungs with air when I breathe deeply. And when I push to breathe more, it was like my lungs won’t take more air; it would go on for days, sometimes weeks. My left thumb was beginning to numb, as far as I remember it went on for a month or two, although I’m not sure if it was related to my smoking but my cousin, who is a doctor, warned me that I should really quit.

On quitting

I tried several times, but I failed. The longest that I quit was for 3 weeks only, then I would light a stick again. And for more than 2 years of working with my company, I resigned. Staying at home toned down my smoking since I'm away from the famous “smoking area” and my "smoker friends". Happy with being a bum, I only smoked 1-3 sticks per day from my usual half-pack to almost 1 pack a day.

The BIG news

2010, I became pregnant. It was the biggest and happiest news that changed my life forever. After testing positive, I completely stopped. I went on cold-turkey; there was no turning back, no urges, no nothing! I became protective of the little one inside me.

My Prenatal

It was my first time to meet the doctor, there were series of interview about my medical history, allergies, etc. And then she blurted out the million-dollar question

“do you smoke?”

I said "yes I did, before I found out that I was pregnant"

Then she asked me "how many"

I said "1-3 sticks"

Then she checked my tummy, and said that size of my tummy was small compared to the number of weeks that I am pregnant. And she scolded me. She said that we all knew that smoking is bad for our own health, what more for the little one.

Scared for the first time

What the doctor told me hit me bad, for the first time I was REALLY scared of the effects of smoking. I was scared not for myself but for the little life that I had in me. I was scared what the nicotine in my system could do to my little one. I cried!

Moving on

From the day that I learned that I was pregnant up until the day I gave birth, I was praying really hard for my baby to become healthy. Thankfully, I did not encounter any problems during my entire pregnancy. I delivered a healthy baby girl, no complications at all. I was blessed! I was relieved.

She changed it all

My daughter saved me, not only from smoking but from the way I looked at life. She is one of my biggest motivations to stop and not to go back smoking. She is my inspiration on keeping myself healthy. I want to live a long life, I want to see her grow up, graduate, have work, marry, and have kids. I want to be there with her every ups and downs, I just want to be with her. There is no turning back!

To my little girl, thank you for saving me. Thank you for making me decide to live a healthy life. Never again will I go back to my old habit. No promises, but I will DO it; for you, for me, for your dad, and for the whole family. I love you!

* And to this date, I am 5 years, 4 months, 10 days smoke-slash-nicotine-free!!! ^_^ *

Saturday, July 23, 2011

My (Secret) Birthday Wish

1 more month and I'll be a year older again. I may age but I will always be forever thankful for all the blessings that were given to me and my family.

I've never been materialistic when it comes to birthday wishes; I only wished for a wonderful and fruitful year ahead of me. Just like my wish for this year, it's for me and my family to always be in good health, to be always safe, and to have more blessings. I wish for the Lord to give me more patience with all the adjustments that I'm having now. For me to continue learning in all aspects of life.

But this year will be an exception. I am honestly craving for this specific material wish and I am wishing this for my birthday wish - and I really really really like to have this. *grin*

Now, this.

I'd like to have a Nikon D90, my pangarap na DSLR! LOL!

I really want to hone my skill in photography but I know a point and shoot is not enough to learn like a pro. Although, I believe that photography is not really about the camera but it is how you see things beyond the lens. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to wish for one, right?! *grin*

But you see, I am already this close to having one, but it has to be set aside since my priorities in my life has to be rearranged - wants vs. needs. And now that I have a baby, I guess having it will be the last on my list.

I just hope my half-brother is right when he said to me, "sana mag dilang anghel ka at maka-pulot tayo ng DSLR!" .

Sana nga! Lol!

|image grabbed from this source|

Monday, February 14, 2011

On this Heart's Day

Happy Valentine's everyone! Enjoy this moment, not only with your partner but with your whole family!

To my dear husband, I love you so much!

|image grabbed from this source|

Thursday, February 3, 2011

To My Daughter's Father.. ♥♥♥

Today marks our 7th year of being together. Our relationship has gone through a lot of ups and downs. But without these, we would never become the person we are right now and we would never value our relationship as much as we do now.

Lessons have been learned, realizations have been made, and forgiveness has been given.

Whatever happened in the past made our relationship stronger.

To you, we're now married and expecting our baby girl, I'm looking forward to more fruitful years with you. May God guide us and bless our family.

Happy 7th year anniversary! I love you so much!

"All it takes is another chance to make things right."

|image grabbed from this source|

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Chocolates! They're Just Wrappers.

Four days ago, I cleaned all my stuff to make room for my baby's things and this is what I found, CHOCOLATES! Yup, but they're all chocolate wrappers. You see, I'm a self-imposed collector - stationery, stickers, stamps, paper bags, and anything that I could think of.

If I remember it right, these were all my collection way back 15-years ago, I was still in high school then. But of course, I did stop from BUT not on eating chocolates. LOL!

And since I need space for my baby's stuff, I have to decide whether I should throw everything away OR just make something good out of it.

Thank goodness for all the wonderful craft blogs, there are a lot of inspirations to choose for a planned DIY project. Let's see how will it go.

Anyone noticed my favorite chocolate?!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

To my DAD: Happy 77th!

Today is my father's 77th birthday. Our family is blessed that at his age he is still strong and in very good condition. We are hoping and praying that he will have more years to celebrate life with us.

♥ I love you, Dad! Happy Birthday! ♥

|image grabbed from this source|