Modern Calligraphy

This past Sunday, my talented friend Kristara taught a introduction to modern calligraphy class at Houston Makerspace and I came along to take pictures, learn a thing or two about modern calligraphy, and nibble on some sweets in between. Kristara has her own calligraphy business, but this was her first time teaching a class and you would never have guessed it. She's a natural at it and had everything organized and prepared ahead of time. Each student even got their own starter kit, complete with everything you need to get going, and with added bonus goodies! I would highly recommend taking one of her classes if you've ever wanted to learn calligraphy, pick up a new hobby, or are just looking for something fun for you and your girlfriends to do one day. After all, there was champagne involved. What.

A few days later, Kristara kindly invited me over for a private calligraphy lesson with her since I didn't get to practice at the actual class and now I am hooked! I'm already dreaming up ideas for greeting cards I could create and send to family and friends. Perfect timing with Christmas just around the corner! Wow, I can't believe I just mentioned Christmas. 

Photos by me

Calligraphy by Kristara

Flowers by Bramble and Bee

La Casita de Wendy

Bold colors and unique patterns are what draw me to a dress and the newest collection from La Casita de Wendy does not disappoint.

Sushi

Sushi is one of my favorite foods but these socks take my obsession to the next level!

What about these awesome bags?! I love the way Don Fisher styles his unique handmade bags to resemble real fish. How funny is it that his last name is Fisher? I'm wondering if this served as inspiration to create these. Check out the rest of his fish bags here.

Philippines Trip

I just got back from an unexpected last minute trip to the Philippines which is where my family is from and where my mom currently lives. I found out on a Friday that her breast cancer had returned after 9 years. This time she decided to go through with a double mastectomy. Losing parts of your body that you've had your whole life is a pretty big deal and I wanted her to have all of the support she could get even if that meant making a huge dent in my savings and suddenly leaving my job for a few weeks. I bought my ticket that Saturday and hopped on a plane that Monday. 

We spent the first half of the trip in Dumaguete City where my mom was having her surgery. My brother and I stayed at a hotel in walking distance and split our time between staying in the hospital and going to get food three times a day. I got to spend some time being a tourist but most my time was spent in the hospital with my mom. For the rest of the trip, we stayed at my mom's house in her hometown of Ayungon. Practically all her family lives there. Her next door neighbors are her sister, nieces, and cousins, and she lives right across the street from the police station where her nieces' husbands work. AND the mayor of the town is a second cousin. It's a really small town! The kind of town where everyone knows each other or is related in some way. I feel guilty for not being able to stay longer for her chemo treatments, but I'm so thankful to have such a big, caring family to help her through this difficult time. 

I had a hard time choosing pictures to post but here are some of my favorites. You can see more photos on my Instagram.

Galveston Getaway

Victor's sister rented a beach house, well more like a beach condo, in Galveston last month  for a whole week and kindly invited the whole family to come stay with them as long as we wanted. Victor's family is a fun bunch to be with so I always enjoy spending time with them whenever we can. We only stayed for three nights but it was exactly what we needed to get away from reality for a while, unwind, and just relax with no plans for the duration of our stay. We  stayed up late, slept in, ate tons of food, laid out on the beach, took naps, played games, and drove around on a golf cart.