Labor of Love Gift Suggestion: Handmade Beaded Jewelries

Beads! Beads! Beads!

I have a cousin from San, Jose California who visited the Philippines about two years ago. I went to see her at her place in Quezon City to catch up and was surprised to see beads and strings all over! Even the household helpers were so engrossed in it! I said hey, what are you up to? Knowing how enterprising my cousin is hehe. True enough, she said she'll make lots of beaded jewelry sets and bring it home with her to sell to friends, neighbors and colleagues! In fact, she averred, she already have tons of orders and sure buyers for it as we are speaking because she just uploaded on FB the pictures of her new designs! And I went hmmnn okay, teach me!!!




So she handed me the two basic tools: The round nose pliers used for bending wires and making loops and the flat nose pliers which is very useful to hold still your beads and rings and also for fastening and cutting wire, I prefer the flat nose with serrated insides for better grip. There are other kinds of pliers but you may already start a project with just these two. Don't use the hardware store pliers because they're not for jewelry making. They're too heavy and big, you might end up breaking your materials or injuring yourself. Buy the right tools, you'll be surprised that they don't really cost much.




Then she gave me the standard measurement of strings for  necklaces and bracelets. I was not too ambitious and confident so I opted to play around with a choker length necklace around 13"-16" length of wire then mixed and matched beads of different sizes and colors. I found this experience very enjoyable and actually easy! And the end product was the most beautiful bead necklace I've seen (remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder), which I didn't get to take home with me but it's okay because she gave me many pasalubongs instead LOL!




I enjoyed my first experience at bead making that I decided to do many more! I found all the materials I needed from Quiapo. I just Googled the best place to buy beading materials and Wellmanson was on the top list so off I went to Villalobos Street in Quiapo. Do not be afraid to go because it's not as if you're gonna be mugged and held up at the place! My trip was actually safe, with no untoward incident. Wellmanson was just a small store but it's a haven for all your beading needs and the prices are reasonable. I also bought some of their finished beaded jewelries and headbands to use as my guide and model for my projects. I set a budget of P3,000 but the beads and other materials in my basket amounted to P5,000 plus! But it's worth it!

Cuz so happy with her present, she danced for joy! :P

As an outgoing person, my friends sometimes couldn't believe it once they find out that I'm so into handicrafts making like crocheting, cross stitching, paper tole cutting,  sewing, scrap booking and now beading! I'd like to show my finished projects for each but for now, I'll showcase my beading creations worn by the lucky recipients...who else but my relatives and friends! I purposefully bought the raw materials and labored with love to give it to them as Christmas presents 2 years ago and they seemed to be genuinely happy about it that I'm thinking of giving them new sets this year haha! Notice how they're all making the peace sign! I wonder why?

Oh sis was so, so happy! She even had a matching swarovski headband!

Bejeweled Cousins: Is it just my imagination that their smiles looked a little forced? Maybe their earrings and necklaces were so long and heavy... hehe

Top 5 Worst Fears: Do you Fight it or Flee from it?

What's your phobe?

Well, I'm not referring to the exaggerated or illogical fear of an object, person or situation that is diagnosed as neurotic, psychotic or pathological.

It says in psychiatry that a person who lacks a feeling of empathy, remorse and fear could be suffering from a mental disorder called antisocial personality disorder  (ASPD) or could have psychopathic personality traits! So, fearless people, beware!

A normal person knows and acknowledges the feeling of fear because it is a basic survival mechanism when one is confronted with a perceived threat. It is the ability to recognize danger that allows us to decide in that moment of fear to either confront it or flee from it! It's actually one of our most basic instincts.




Being afraid therefore is not cowardice at all! So, I'll let you in my secret world of horror, here are my top 5 worst fears ... Do I fight it or do I flee?

Top 5:  Rats! Eeeeek!!! - They have spiky black hair, long black tails, yellow long teeth and red mean eyes (okay, they're not really red). They steal your food and leave you some but poison it with their saliva or pee! They sharpen and trim their continuously growing incisor teeth by gnawing away your wooden furniture, floor, ceiling or whatever! They are fast but really don't mind if you see them parading in your living room while having tea with guests! They are the big brothers of the mighty mice but I don't care even if they're uncles of Mickey Mouse, they're not cute and scare the wits out of me! Do I fight or flee?

Fight! : Always keep the house and surroundings clean. Do not leave left over food on the table or anywhere in the house. Make sure that the garbage cans are also covered and always put it out especially during the night. Never eat in the bedroom, especially chips and sandwiches because they hunt for crumbs even on the bed while you sleep! I never use rat traps because even if I'm scared of these ugly beasts, I really don't want to see them in pain...squirming, squeaking, eyes popping and nose bleeding to death eeeew! So I prefer the more humane Racumin Powder, which is more effective than the other rat pellets and powder brands I've tried. Just sprinkle the blue powder on bread and leave it where you saw the rat roaming but cage your pets to make sure they don't eat it ...when it's gone just prepare another until no more rat is getting the bait anymore, it means the rats are dead somewhere (if it smells, it  could be lying dead inside your house...that's trouble!). Wash hands after preparing the bait and keep the package away from children and pets. If there are more than 2 rats you saw, then it's best to call a professional pest controller or die of heart attack!

Top 4: Flying Cockroach!!! Yikes! - a crawling cockroach gives me the shivers but a flying cockroach (especially one that seems to target me!) sends me scurrying and screaming for help! Fight or Flee?

Fight! : Again, cleanliness is next to godliness especially in the kitchen! Never leave unwashed dishes on the sink. Make sure no crumbs are lying on the table and on the floor. Constantly map the floor with a disinfectant, I use Lysol Concentrate or Zonrox Bleach Plus (new formula, it's actually good and a lot cheaper than Lysol).

For the antagonist cockroach, I'm so happy to have discovered my new hero! The Kwik Multi Insect Killer! I use the green aerosol bottle. The effect is instantaneous with just a quick small spray! This is far more effective than my old brand because I think the roaches mutated and become resistant to it. They're like bacteria that have been immunized to antibiotics! Thank goodness to new Kwik! It's also cheaper than my old brand.

Top 3: Ghosts, demons, bad spirits, occult and the supernatural! Boo! - I've never really seen any and I don't think I'm totally convinced there are elements like these but I like to scare myself and watch movies about it. My favorite scary movies of all time are: Ju-on the Grudge (Japan), The Shutter (Thailand), The Exorcist (Linda Blair), Poltergeist, Silence of the Lambs (Anthony Hopkins & Jodie Foster), The Rite (Anthony Hopkins), The Final Destination (All Series) and more.

Fight! : Keep watching horror films! Please suggest new good ones :)

Top 2: Aging - I really don't know which scares me more, aging or death itself! It's not about vanity at all 'though wrinkles and lines are ghastly sights, I mean it's really scary to imagine oneself all stooped and wrinkled, dependent on others with low cognitive processes, hopefully not sick. Is there a way to fight this or should I just flee life as quickly as I can?

Fight! : Live a healthy lifestyle. Establish good and lasting relationships. Laugh hard, enjoy life. Pray a lot and be steadfast in faith but most of all give love abundantly and unconditionally because love conquers all our fears... even the fear of aging and mortality. And don't forget to stock up on vitamins, minerals, other food supplements, day cream, night cream, anti-aging cream, sunscreen, etc... etc....

Top 1: Death of an immediate family member - This is really my greatest fear of all, I have not experienced it and I pray not to in the near future. It's actually related to my fear of aging. It's really hard when you realize that your parents seem to be not as strong as they used to be. Just thinking of losing one of them sends a pang of panic and a real and physical pain in my heart. Fight or Flee?

Fight!: It's inescapable, No one can flee. I just pray for courage and acceptance when the time comes.

For now, I fear not!

I just live and love!

Chilling on the Hilly Metro East Side, Antipolo City

I went to party at Antipolo for my sister's birthday bash last night. There's a tropical storm up so the temperature on the hilly east side was extra chilly. I wore a dark pink race back top and an old pair of jeans, my bad! Good thing I had a bonnet on (Brrrr!).

The food as expected were heavenly delishhh! My special favorite was the authentic laing (Gabi/Taro leaves with pork cooked in coconut milk with lots of red chili peppers) prepared by her mother-in-law who

Spicy Laing

is a Bicolana. The creaminess of the coconut milk and the chili's "bite" were just perfect for the cool weather. The embotido (steamed pork roll or meatloaf with hard boiled eggs, sausages, raisins, pickles and cheese filling) was also a hit with my nieces and nephews. My mom seemed to favor the native chicken caldereta (tomato based stew with potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, green peas, chicken liver and cheese) over the spareribs afritada (boiled then sauteed with laurel leaves and whole black pepper much like the famous adobo, only this one is also tomato based)  and the chicken curry. The celebrant's signature recipe, the creamy

with the celebrant (rightmost)

macaroni soup with mushroom, corn, sausages and cabbage was also served along with the other birthday staples such as the pancit bijon guisado (birthday noodles), cake and ice cream! Sadly, there were no seafoods served at the party due to the recent fish kill scare. Too bad 'cause I was hoping for some grills that would have been a perfect beer match while chillaxing in their kubo (Nipa hut) at the roof top. But hey, who's complaining :)

Then it's booze time! Up we go to the kubo to enjoy the cold Antipolo weather and the sight, overlooking the city lights of the metropolis. My dad opted for some red wine while my bayaw (bro-in-law) had brandy with his friends. Me and my siblings upon the recommendation of my other sister (not the celebrant) tried the new Tanduay Ice instead of the usual beer.

It's a premixed alcoholic beverage that has an alcohol content of 5% per volume, just like my regular favorites the San Miguel Pale Pilsen and the San Miguel Super Dry. It comes in a clear, slender bottle similar to San Mig Light's. It's color was milky or hazy white, like a Guyabano juice. The texture was a little fizzy and bubbly that reminds me of Cali. It tasted  sweet and citrusy like a sour cocktail of gin, pomelo and sugar. I had three bottles but it did not give me the usual kick I get from my beer faves. What I got was a slight headache and a 2-minute gas pain haha I'm not sure 'though, if the laing was to blame for this part. Nevertheless, we finished 24 bottles because the company was awesome!

Thanks for a great party, sistah! 
Cheers to another great year ahead!