The Rolly-Joyce Monogram

Ever since Rolly and I got engaged, most of my free time has been spent researching, daydreaming, and exploring wedding stuff. Our wedding website is now up, though I haven't "announced" the url yet because there are still finishing touches left to do.  I've also become part of the "weddings at work" community where brides-to-be, like myself, discuss things concerning wedding preparations, suppliers, bridal fair experiences, and the like.

In some of the forums, I encountered a topic about monograms.  As wikipedia defines it, a monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos.  For weddings, monograms are used to design the couple's wax seals, save-the-date cards, invitations, favors, etc.  For Rolly and I, however, the monogram is more than a logo design.  It's a visual reminder of our new life together.

I've seen many couple monograms, and I got inspired. :) I'm not a graphic artist and I don't know how to form shapes and stuff on Photoshop, so I just explored Microsoft Powerpoint and doodled and dragged and clicked.  

The result?  Drum roll please...

Ta-daaaa! =D

This is only a draft, so please save your negative comments for later. Hehehe. I'll have someone enhance it pa. :) And this won't be blue, it's going to be silver.  I just didn't want to use gray on powerpoint because it looks dull.

I made it circle for the same reason that wedding bands are round.  This shape has no end, no corners. Instead of using "&" in between our names, I used the infinity symbol, which symbolizes ENDLESSNESS.  Just like us and our ever after... endless. *mushy*  The symbol is also a number 8 set sideways.  This number is quite symbolic between Rolly and me.  I said yes to him on 888, and now we're getting married on an 8 as well.

Weeeee! I'm very excited! I'll give you a peek into the final monogram once it's ready. :)

A happy bride-to-be,

4 Reasons Not to Worry

I've been pretty bothered these past few days about things which, to begin with, must not be bothering me at all.  I've been causing unnecessary stress on myself, and on Rolly as well. =( Finally, I realized that it's time to break free and leave the worrywart side of me behind. Like what I always do when in a predicament, I tried to find good reads in the web that could help me get into the state of mind that I want.  


I typed "Bible verses about worries" on Google, and this was one of the many entries that came up.  I found this very helpful, so I decided to share the whole thing here.

According to http://christianity.about.com/od/whatdoesthebiblesay/qt/reasonnot2worry.htm, these are four Biblical reasons why we should never worry (Read: copied verbatim):






1)  Worrying Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing.

I don't know about you, but I don't have any time to waste these days. And worrying is a waste of very precious time. Worrying won't help you solve a problem or bring about a solution, so why waste your time and energy on it?

Matthew 6:27-29
"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are." (NLT)



2)  Worrying is Not Good for You.

Worrying is destructive to us in many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to grow physically sick.

Proverbs 12:25
"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." (NLT)



3)  Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God.

The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Here's a little formula to remember: Worry replaced by Prayer equals Trust.

Matthew 6:30
"And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" (NLT)

Philippians 4:6-7
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (NLT)




4)  Worrying Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction.

When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us and we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on his kingdom. God will take care of our every need.

Matthew 6:25
"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?" (NLT)

Matthew 6:31-33
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (NLT)

1 Peter 5:7
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (NLT)

*****************

Now I feel silly.  My concerns were just so trivial, and I was worrying like crazy.  Haaay.  Bahala na si Lord.  :)  From now on, whenever I will feel troubled again, I will just have to re-read this post and remind myself that God loves me, and He's always in control.  Always.


Sometimes foolish,

#OnceYouGetMarriedYouCant

Inspired by a trending topic on twitter today, #OnceYouGetMarriedYouCant, I am writing my own list of things I won't (or might not) be able to do anymore once I get hitched. :)  In no particular order:

1.  #OnceIGetMarriedICant be such a lazybones anymore.  Though I grew up not doing household chores, once I get hitched, I will have to succumb to several forms of domestic distress: sweeping and mopping the floors, dish washing, folding the clothes, etc. Whew!!!

2.  #OnceIGetMarriedICant be Ms. del Pilar anymore, but Mrs. delos Reyes.  I would be shedding the family name I have always used for 27 years of my life and take on a new one.  Hmm.  I wonder how soon I would get the hang of it.

3.   #OnceIGetMarriedICant sleep as long as I want anymore.  Once I become a wife, I am set to wake up early every morning to prepare hubby's breakfast, and to make sure his clothes are all primed.  Same would be the case even during weekends. I must wake up before he does.

4.  #OnceIGetMarriedICant baby-talk anymore, or it will sound funny at home.  Neighbors might think there are alien toddlers lurking in our house. =))

5.  #OnceIGetMarriedICant be selfish anymore.  I can no longer do things on a whim thinking of nobody but myself.  Once I tie the knot, my husband and I are one, and I am no longer the sole captain of my ship.  By then, it's already gonna be the two of us.


6.  #OnceIGetMarriedICant spend time with my mom as much I do now. :( My mom would no longer be the first person I see when I wake up, and the last before I go to sleep. :(  I can no longer call the house where I grew up my home, because then I would already refer to it as my parents.' :( 

I'm still thinking of more things, but these will do for now.  I'm sleepy. ZzzzZz.


Cheers,

Three Years Down ♥

It's been three years since 888, and all this time, I have always considered myself blessed for finding someone as amazing as my fiancé. ♥  Nobody could ever be more right for me, and I thank the Lord for this truly wonderful blessing. :)

We traveled to the Queen City of the South to celebrate our anniversary. I've been to Cebu countless times already, but going there with Rolly this time made it a unique experience.  We spent the first day exploring the place, accompanied by my good friend Nevie and her boyfriend Ken. Prior to this trip, I only went to Cebu for work, so it's actually my first time to explore the place.

Casa Gorordo - one of the three remaining houses in Cebu’s 

Parian district that dates back to the Spanish colonial period. (wiki)

Fort San Pedro - a military defense structure, built by Spanish and 

indigenous Cebuano laborers under the command of Spanish conquistador, 

Miguel López de Legazpi and the Spanish Government in Cebu. (wiki)

Magellan's Cross - Will a visit to Cebu ever be complete without

a stopover at this legendary cross? :) Ugh, this is a no-brainer.

Taoist Temple - constructed in 1972 and is the biggest one in the Philippines.

I felt like Kung Fu Panda's Po while walking up the steps. Whew! 

Lapu-lapu's Statue in Mactan - They say this is the exact spot where this 

warrior fought the battle where he killed Magellan.

Ugh, if I had it my way I wouldn't go here anymore. But Rolly was itching to pay

him a visit, so what the heck. Hehe.

I wanted to go a guitar factory, but we ended up in guitar store.

Hehe. =D

Then day 2 came.  Rolly brought me to the prestigious Shangri La Mactan Resort.  I've been thinking of a word to descibe the place, but 'beautiful' is certainly an understatement.  It's a piece of heaven on earth!!! I wish we owned an SLR so we could give the place justice with our photos, but unfortunately we only had my trusty cybershot. Oh well.

http://www.shangri-la.com/​en/property/cebu/mactanres​ort

We stayed at a beautiful Premier Garden View room and Rolly has automatically become Shang's "Golden Circle" member, yaay! It means we'll get to enjoy special perks and discounts when we get back. That is if he can afford another 14,000 bucks (or less if marked down) for an overnight stay.  =D Why does 'the good life' sometimes have to be really expensive? =|

Being a five-star resort, we only have good things to say about the place. World class service and top-notch facilities!  The beach was superb, good thing we got unlimited use of non-motorized water sports thingies. =D

Day 2 was capped off with a Su Tu Kil dinner. :) Sutukil stands for Sugba, Tuwa, and Kilaw - the main ways of cooking the delicious fresh seafood found in Mactan.

We kicked Day 3 off with a scrumptious meal at Tides.  We're the only Pinoys there, except of course the servers.

And another half day was spent swimming. :)

At noontime, it was time to go. Huhu. :(

This vacation was definitely the best one we've had so far. I think this even beat our Hong Kong trip in 2008. :) Hmm, I wonder where we're going next year.  Ay, hindi na pala. No travel in August 2012.  Gotta save that for our honeymoon na lang. =D

Thanks so much, Mahal! ♥ I love you!!!

Links:  

• 3 Years Down - Around Cebu;
• 3 Years Down -Shangri La Mactan

Cheers,