Fancy Cakes & Cupcakes...

It has been a while since I last posted a blog or two and I promise to make  a mean comeback...

A few more parties in the works and things have been pretty busy for me and my team. Two more lavish birthday parties are scheduled ahead in the Ber Months and so far, most of the details are already laid out...

the cake & cupcake spread

Since there is a wonderful surge of events in the coming months, we decided to search for more trusted & quality suppliers that could provide our clients the best service ever... And when we talk about parties, automatically, there has to be a cake...



Let me introduce to you  one of our newest tie-up cake & cupcake supplier, Nina Espi.. She owns Cakes & Cupcakes by Nina. A gifted baker with a flare for art, she creates beautiful cakes & cupcakes that you would love to devour, only, it's too beautiful and fancy you'd think twice of touching it... =)

What caught my attention big time was her push pop cupcakes, a very creative way to introduce cupcakes in a different light.. And I thought you can only do push pops with ice creams! I guess I was wrong... These pretty goodies come in different colors, flavors & designs. You can even customize it to your liking.. It's great for dessert spreads, you can even incorporate this in your kiddie candy buffet..But that's not all, you can check out her cake albums which are to die for as well...


Not everyone has a sweet tooth, but I doubt it if you can say no to these... Feel free to sink your teeth in to those yummy pastries soon... Good job, Nina! And welcome to the team!

Ching's First Dora Doll

My little girl is in love with Dora. I made her watch a few episodes on Nick Toons back when she was still six months old and I must say, she remembers Dora pretty well up to this day. I am amazed at how keen she is whenever Dora items are around. She  can even recognize the cartoon from afar.

And since I know how much it will make her happy, I started looking for a beautiful Dora doll at  toy stores in Manila. Sad to say, my efforts were futile. They don't sell Nicks stuff here unlike in the States, so I had to look for it online.

Thankfully enough, my friend Suyen (who owns House of Flair) helped me get these items for me. I also ordered a beautiful dress from Sew Purple Couture, a specialty shop owned by my cousin Eyelyn Enerio who designs and sews the dresses herself. I found her designs too pretty, I had her customize a beautiful plaid dress for Chingching.

All these items came in after months of waiting. May I say, the wait was worth it. I was just as excited when I got the box filled with Ching's Dora doll, plaid dress, and ribbons. The doll was so pretty, I knew my little girl will like it.
 And so she did!!! I couldn't begin to describe how ecstatic she was upon touching her very first Dora Doll... All afternoon, she carried it with her, kissing it from time to time, and even talking to her.. It did cost me a few dollars but I don't really mind, not anymore after seeing my little girl's beautiful smile...

Kids are just the most appreciative of all...

Father's Day At Corniche

 It was Leih's second time to celebrate Father's day, so after Chingching's scheduled monthly check up, we headed straight to Corniche at Diamond Hotel, Manila for a sumptuous late lunch treat. The last time I went here was a few years ago when a good friend invited me for dinner.. But that's another story...

the beautiful Corniche interior

I surprised my husband by getting reservations for two, in advance... Of course, the little girl was with us in her usual "likot" mood. Honestly, bringing a squirming toddler can be such a pain sometimes especially when you have no nanny to depend on... I can barely finish my plate in one seating.

The place though was so inviting, it was more spacious than the other buffet restos in the metro, with a man-made cascading falls at the end of the room, all in it's beautiful glory for everyone to enjoy...

 I was quite taken with the falls myself that I chose a seat next to the see through glass wall. I particularly enjoyed the sound of water from the falls, it had a relaxing effect to it, romantic too, may I add..

my  first  plate.. hehehe

And then we started feasting on the wide array of food served before us... There were partitions specially reserved for Japanese food, Chinese, Italian, and the list goes on....

 I loved their tasty maki and the crunchy prawn tempura, with it's very light sauce...I also had a big serving of crispy suckling pig-skin, and some other roasted delicacies from the carving station. There were different kinds of pastas, pizza, a variety of rice recipes, and delicious courses to choose from... I was literally in buffet heaven once more..

But knowing me, of course I wouldn't pass up on the desserts. And boy was I a happy food tripper...  Different kinds of cakes, pannacotas, and brulee were all splayed in front of me, as if they were prepared just for my eyes... They were all exquisitely done, the way they look  also justifies their taste.. I helped myself to a few servings and  still  couldn't get enough of all these sweets.. This time, it seemed I was in Sugar Heaven and I didn't want to leave anymore..

The late lunch was indeed worth our hard-earned money... I wouldn't mind coming back to this place...Definitely I won't be waiting till Father's Day next year to do that... no siree...

Mother's Day at Vikings

Mother's Day became a more meaningful occassion for me since I became a mom myself. Now, more than ever, I understand what it's like to have your own child, the sacrifices most mothers do for their kids ~ all these making me more grateful for having a wonderful mother as well.

I can't imagine life without my mom, and my daughter... I'm in that stage where all realizations have sank in deep. And now, with each decision I make, I always make sure to keep my family's welfare at the very top priority. All my hardwork, I dedicate to them.  Becoming a mother has tamed me more than I can imagine. Not that I was a wildchild or anything, it's just that my priorities have changed since I got married and had a kid. I became more selfless, more responsible in my own way. I'd like to think that somehow, I'd be at least half as good as my mom was to me, and maybe as time goes, I could be more...

Special days like these shouldn't go uncelebrated. In fact, two weeks before Mother's Day, my husband confirmed he made reservations for dinner for me and my mom... It was his surprise, and I was very grateful.

We had a wonderful buffet dinner at Vikings, Mall of Asia. I couldn't  seem to remember how many times we've already dined here but we always come back to this place for its food and good service.  Today, it had been jampacked with patrons but we got a good table reserved for us. And a sumptuous dinner followed.

It had been a great night. With my husband.. With my daughter.. And with my Mom...
Thank God for this wonderful day.

Kiara's Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party...

I've coordinated a few kiddie birthday parties but this is probably one of the grandest we have ever done. It was Kiara Sofia's Strawberry Shortcake-inspired  first  birthday, the only daughter of my good friend & balloon designer-tie up, Bernadette Arbolante. And when I say, grand, I mean the very word.

Honestly, I am not a fan of green and pink. It has never been my color. But this party was an exception as Adette nailed it perfectly. I just found myself liking the color palette which happens very rarely.

It was my first time  to coordinate a Strawberry Shortcake Themed- birthday party. Truthfully, I wasn't aware of Strawberry Shortcake and I  only learned about it all from Adette when she disclosed the theme she picked for Kiara.

I had to research a bit as I promised to help her with the planning and suggested a few other suppliers which she eventually liked. When she gave me an idea of how she planned on adorning the place with balloons, I immediately started on the floor plan. I'm happy she liked it.
      The party was held at the Grand Ballroom of Antel Grand Village, the very same location I held my daughter's birthday party a few months ago. It was magnificently spacious to hold 200 or more guests, not to mention, the place is already aesthetically pleasing.


I knew right then that it wasn't going  to be just an ordinary birthday party. When you have a balloon designer for a mother, you can't expect anything but the best, and I was right about it.  Knowing how keen Adette is with details, Aann & I both felt excited with the preps. It was a party not to be missed. (^_^)
  The invitations came in next after she had the venue reserved, together with the beautiful costumes which they got, both from two trusted suppliers.

I knew Adette's taste so I had to recommend the best graphic designer to make the 3-dimension pop-ups she had in mind. I was pleased to hear from her that she instantly fell in love with one of their designs, thus, the beautiful invitation she ordered. It had  Kiara's picture popping out whenever you open it. She also added a few accents like ribbons and stickers before sending them out a few weeks before the big day.

the pop-up invitation...

 The costumes arrived early April. She had to get two costumes, one for the main event and another for change-up. They were both adorable, it did fit her cute baby nicely. From her dress to her shoes and hair accessories, everything was in theme...

one of her very cute costumes...

Kiara had her photoshoot done by Kulay Studios wearing these costumes  3 days before her party. This was one blessed kid, alright. She was very cooperative at the photoshoot, smiling & playing around, as if knowing she was being photographed. Below is a shot of her in her cute costume..

the beautiful Strawberry Shortcake Celebrant!

We had to keep in touch everyday for updates & accomplished  tasks, and I found out how she had been keeping herself busy with the candies and give-aways.

 I just had to applaud Adette for her hardwork as she diligently wrapped each candy with beautiful pink & green wrappers to match her theme. She also had mini baskets customized for the candy buffet spread...

 

yummy strawberry cookies..

 who wouldn't want a piece of that?

very much in theme

those candies took time to finish..

  Even the standees were customized., together with  metal frames whichshe used as base for her balloons. The effort was just enormous.

one of her many standees

 Adette and I have worked together for quite a few times already so I know how intricately she works with all her balloon projects. She is quite a perfectionist in some sense, and for her little princess' special day, she exhausted all her means to come up with a beautiful & happy party. Just looking at the backdrop and the bountiful array of goodies in front was enough to leave you in awe...

the gorgeous candy buffet spread we helped set up...

my favorite among all...

the pastillas lollipops in a fence- basket

Adette collected ideas on how to make the  candy buffet spread so I suggested we use some cake towers for the sweets which I personally adorned with green and pink feathers to give off a soft shabby chic touch.

I gave Kiara some special Pastillas Lollipops which I ordered from a  trusted supplier, Rheanor. These we put on white fenced pots to look like sprouting flowers. It was an instant hit! Everyone loved it.

Adette also ordered  baskets & stools  from a handicraft supplier  and the contrast of colors came out perfectly. The giveaways consist of mini stools for the kids and hamsters in pink cute cages. The kids went wild with the hamsters as everyone wanted one.
We placed the kiddie souvenirs on the right side of the stage, near the beautiful strawberry mini house and the kids' tables. The children couldn't seem to wait to get their hands on the cage. Just seeing the cages & stools made every kid giddy with excitement.

The day before the event, I had to squeeze in a little time to polish last minute details such as the guest list and loading all the goodies & souvenirs onto our van, all these while my little one was recuperating from fever. Pretty stressful you could say, but nothing we couldn't handle.

On the morning of the 27th, we went straight to the venue site to start loading & assembling the candy spread. As I walked  into the ballroom, I was greeted with an overwhelming strawberry farm literally made out of balloons! It was incredible. The details were just astonishingly accurate. Never had I seen such a bounty in balloons until now. Even the welcome signages were gorgeous...

the cake and the candy buffet...

you guessed it right, a pathway filled with balloon bushes on each side...

Strawberry Shortcake at its best...

My partner, Aann and I, started working on the candy buffet with such an inspired heart while Adette finished the balloon set up. Seeing all these, we were overwhelmed as we knew this would  be another wonderful event added to our portfolio.

the candy buffet up close...

The tables were in theme, just the same with each kiddie tablecloth Adette provided. The aisle was transformed into a pathway with strawberry bushes  & trees on either side. Strawberry balloons & anagrams  were everywhere. The venue was indeed transformed into a lush strawberry farm, even the table napkins & table centerpieces matched it.

strawberries, trees & bushes made of balloons!

They placed a  mini strawberry house at the right side of the stage, with a small garden and life-sized standees of Strawberry Shortcake & friends.

the mini strawberry house and garden

  A giant strawberry backdrop served as a wall paper to the beautiful candy spread we set up. On the right side, we placed a few mini stool souvenirs & hamster-cages, and at the opposite side were layers of cupcakes from Sweet Solutions. At the center was the beautiful Strawberry Shortcake-inspired cake with a special cake arch.

The balloon set-up took Adette and her staff three days to finish. Tedious alright, but worth all the hardwork. I personally witnessed how all the guests walked in so amazed with the strawberry farm that greeted them. The food was great and the service was also worthy of note, of course from our trusted tie-up, Ricci Co of Lynagails. They even served strawberries with cream for the appetizer. The party was in theme in every aspect, indeed...

the Arbolante Family together with the birthday girl

Richard Agtarap was also a great  host and facilitated the games for the kiddies. It was a spontaneous event which were graced by wonderful guests and friends of the family.
 After the giving of souvenirs, we did the the pinata and the balloon burst where the kid-winner got to bring home a pair of white rabbits in a cage. Souvenirs couldn't get any better than that, would you say?

It was a tiring day for all of us but we definitely had a wonderful time especially upon realizing that the party went perfectly as planned . To be a part of something as special and beautifully extravagant as this party is something to be grateful for. Together with my family, I went home with a satisfied heart, a screaming pair of tired feet, and a happy smile, knowing I did something right. It seemed I  celebrated  my daughter's party for the second time. My heart was soaring high.

It was great working with the Arbolantes... Kiara Sofia's Strawberry Shortcake party will always be one of my favorites...   The pictures will explain to you my reason why... =)

Kids And Television

Being a first time mom, I have yet to learn a lot about raising kids... What I do with my little one, I base on instinct and baby-books... I share insights with other mothers and from there, I learn things one at a time.

Back in the days, I used to remember, raising kids seemed very different from how new parents do it now. Before, it never mattered whether kids were left to watch television, as long as the channel's tuned in to cartoons. But now, more parents are becoming aware of the effects of too much boob-tube and how the fast pace affects their kids' comprehension.

That was what I learned recently from a development specialist whom we saw for Ching. Thankfully, Ching is doing very good, save for the little delay in speech which was, according to the doctor, still understandably normal for kids her age.

It was only recently that I learned that watching tv could prove detrimental to a child's psychological development. Too much exposure to television and computers, according to recent studies,  have been found to contribute to a child's speech delay and worse, could lead to Attention Deficit Disorder Syndrome. Honestly, that last one scared the hell out of me. I said to myself, I won't lose anything if I follow the doctor's advise.  Now, my baby rarely watches tv, well, most likely just a glimpse from time to time but not how most kids  do it, like being glued to the screen for hours..

I made it a routine to read to Ching every chance I get, sing to her, talk to her and try to teach her patiently about every word. Yes, I used the term patiently, you'll be needing a lot of patience when dealing with toddlers. It isn't easy and sometimes, it can get to you especially when  a child is unresponsive, but these things you SHOULD get used to. Besides, it is your child..  Once in our lives, our parents did the same to us, and now, it's our turn. I'm also glad that my little girl is into books herself, every morning after I've bathed her, she would automatically pick one of her books and start looking at the pages.. I am overwhelmed seeing her like this everyday..

So now,  everyone in the family barely watches television. And we miss it badly. But hey, let's look at the positive side, that would mean lesser electricity bill...  That's fair enough for me...