Monday, December 10, 2012

Look! I made a doll!

I discovered Craft MNL on my Facebook feed. One of my Facebook friends took a crafts lesson and I clicked on her photo and that's how I decided I wanted to take doll-making lessons!

Now, I had thought that we'd be given blank dolls and then we'd just decorate them. But silly me, it wasn't a doll-decorating workshop—it was a doll-making workshop! We made our dolls from scratch! Here is my photo essay of my very first doll creation:
It all starts with handfuls of this. I forget what it's called.
Let's call it stuffing! Wads and wads of this!
I made the head.
Here's the neck.
The yarn marks the eye and temple area.
Pins and needles! Yards of yarn!
That's our teacher, Jac Zapatos, a wife, full-time working
mom to a toddler, and a doll-maker! Follow her crafty blog,
I am handmade.
This is a really soft cloth. It's my doll's skin. 
Stitching away. 
Not very neat. Sigh. I haven't stitched in years!
Stuffing the limbs with more stuffing!
Head, arms, body!
Slim legs! The doll looks better chubby actually
but since it's MY doll, I made her thin.
Skinny like me!
Closing up seams.
Pins mark the eyes. Then I satin stitched the eyes.
Making the hair with red yarn. Because I'm a redhead!
Super cute! She looks like me! 
This is the most difficult part, stitching on the hair. My fingers swelled up.
Tada! Our pretty dolls!

It was so much fun making my own doll! I named her Clementine, from the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I'm already thinking of what workshops to join next. Craft MNL has tons of fascinating classes like glass etching, decoupage, bookbinding, flower arranging, making rubber stamps and so much more. They're super affordable, too. My doll-making class was just P850 with materials! 

I highly recommend joining workshops. The last one I joined, a writing workshop way back in 1999, I found me a hubby! Haha. So sulit talaga siya! 

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Chuvaness!!!


I forgot to tell you about this!

My life is surreal. First, Rissa Mananquil Trillo then Lucy Torres Gomez. Now Cecile Zamora Van Straten. I have only met Cecile thrice in my life and all those times involved food. The first time was the opening of Pepper Lunch at Power Plant and she personally attended to our table, showing us how to cook our food. The second time was at Cibo Greenbelt 5, when she sent over dessert for my friend Kate who was eating dinner with me. The third time was at Via Mare, when we all had merienda with author Samantha Sotto and then Cecile offered to take me and my son Vito home. There's always food with Cecile! That's why when I think of Cecile Van Straten, I think of food.

Yes, I am deriving pleasure from typing their full names. It's my way of convincing myself that important people read my blogs because I still can't believe it!

Thank you so much to everyone who take the time to visit Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy. All of you inspire me! God bless you all for the encouragement and support. Mwah!

UPDATE: Four times pala! The last time I met Cecile was at the launch of Magnum ice cream bar and we were surrounded by trays and trays of Belgian ice cream and coolers upon coolers of Magnum. So food pa rin!

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Best & Worst of celebrity and entertainment in OK!'s December issue

The magazine was already about to run in the printers when I saw Kristen Stewart in that lace gown. It was a dress that made everyone either love it or hate it. I, for one, loved it. Absolutely loved it! Loved that it was so polarizing and arresting that it deserved a cover. So I called the printers and was able to make my dream come true for the second time when I trilled, "Stop the presses!!!" and replaced the cover with KStew.

Oh, to be in your 20s, with milky white skin, with long lithe limbs, and an A-list status! You could frakkin' wear the most ridiculous outfits because on anyone else, people would laugh at how stupid you look but when you're young and perfect, you can get away with anything and everything. Yes, from nearly nude gowns to having "momentary indiscretions" with a married man with young kids!!!

So tell me—is Kristen Stewart's gown the best gown you've seen this year or the worst? Personally, I actually liked it. Her sartorial picks this year made the entertainment editor in me giddy with pleasure. She was always wearing buzzed-about outfits. As for her personal picks, and by that I mean her life choices, they ain't so hot. So for me, KStew is this year's best dressed but worst decision-maker. The kinda star an entertainment magazine adores!

The December issue of OK! Philippines is filled with all things terrific and terrible. TV, movies, music, red carpet gowns, trends in fashion and beauty... You name it, it's in the December ish!

Sorry I had to make them smaller! In the previous extra-large
format, you can actually read the Best of Beauty list! Oops.
Grab a copy na lang haha


We have Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for our royalty fans. We have our much-anticipated Best of Beauty List, our tried-and-tested and most recommended products for the year. We have the coolest gift-guide fitting for the stars in your life. Very very proud of this issue!

Which also happens to be our last.

Yes, folks. After almost 8 years, OK! Philippines is turning its very last page. We couldn't keep up with the lightning speed of the internet and the celebrity blogs like Perez Hilton and Just Jared. While I love all the instant news, my heart is breaking because I love magazines and I'm sadly a witness to its death.

My staff and I had the most amazing time making this fabulous magazine and we will miss it terribly. But we've known OK!'s fate for months and we've all already moved on to new adventures. Still, we will always look back to the years we worked in OK! as the most fun we've ever had. It truly didn't feel like work at all.

My final Letter from the Editor. I cried while writing it!

I'd like to thank our publisher, Summit Media, for the incredible opportunities and the massive support all these years. Thank you for offering me a sweet spot within the company when OK! folded and thank you also for understanding and encouraging me when I decided to strike out on my own and be a freelance writer and full-time mommy instead. I will always view Summit as home and Summiteers as family. Thank you so very much!

Many many hugs and kisses to our loyal readers. It is really breaking my heart reading your shocked dismay on our Facebook page. I had thought—since we've known for a few months—that I'd be ready for your comments when you find out about OK!'s fate. But reading your messages, wow, my eyes can't stop tearing up! Thank you so much for your devotion. We love you and we will miss you, too!