Summer State of Mind ;)

Who says summer's over?

For us, the people behind Belo Essentials, Belo Sun Expert, Belo Men, and Belo Nutraceuticals, SUMMER is only a state of mind.  In fact, in our heads, it only started and ended last Thursday and Friday, when June's already about to end! =P

A leisure resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas :) (photo sourtesy of Jem Yanzon)

A postcard-perfect photo by our MD,  Cristalle Henares :)

Love our candy colors! :) I was part of Team Green!

Happy workers are productive workers! :)

'Til our next playtime, guys! :)


Cheers,

Big Day Updates

It's the 12th day of June... 4 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days before the big day to be exact.  =D  I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly time flies!  November is getting nearer and nearer!  Waaaah! *faints*

I had more than enough time in my hands last weekend, so I finally got myself into writing down a detailed checklist for the wedding.  I started confidently, knowing that we've already accomplished many, but then I eventually realized that there's still a lot of things left to do!  Here's our work-in-progress report as of today:

ITEMS DONE:

• Wedding Rings - Our lovely rings are ready! They're in Rolly's possession now for safekeeping until November.
• Baptismal and Confirmation Certificates - Our dependable parents took care of these.  :)
• Missalette - Draft done. :) Rolly and I chose the readings and finalized the liturgical entourage.  It's now awaiting approval by the parish.
• Engagement Photo Shoot - Super done! :) Sets 1 and 2 are already uploaded on facebook.  Set 3 will be posted on July 8, 4 months before the big day. 
• Engagement Video Shoot - Done! I've been itching to publish the video since I've gotten hold of it!  It will be posted on August 8, our 4th year anniversary 3 months before the wedding.
• Guestlist and Table Assignments - Draft done! This will be finalized after we've distributed the invites and all have responded to the RSVP.
• Save the Date Cards - Done and distributed. ;)
• Will You Be Cards for Principal Sponsors - Cards done, some are in the hands of the ninongs and ninangs already, others are awaiting meetup schedules.
• Hotel for Preps - Booked! :)

IN PROGRESS:

• Wedding Gown and Groom's Suit - Our measurements were already taken.  Shell fitting for me is set on July 15, same with the entourage members' measurement taking schedule.
• CENOMAR - We already requested this from NSO.  For pickup on week 3 of June. :)
• Wedding Cake - ongoing talks with the cake designer. :)
• Shoes - My customized shoes are now being produced! I hope they turn out lovely! :)
• Souvenirs - Awaiting the supplier to present a mock-up for our approval prior to mass production.

TO BE DONE ASAP:

• Marriage Vocation Seminar - This is one church requirement which is scheduled on July 7 and 8 at Christ the King. Rolly and I are super excited about this. :)
• Detailing with the Caterer - Scheduled on July 14. We have to get this over with so we can proceed to deciding on other things, depending on how our discussion with Hizon's turns out.
• Detailing with Florist - We'll do this probably in July also.  No schedule yet.
• Discussion with the Reception Emcee - Trying to schedule this on July 14 as well.
• List of Songs for the Ceremony and Reception - This I gotta accomplish as soon as possible!
• Finalize DIY Ideas - We will do a lot of DIY-ing for the wedding, and this is the thing I am most scared about.  I'm far from being creative, period. =\  We'll just be soliciting tips and advice from resourceful and imaginative friends just so the DIY stuff will be completed in good taste. Hehe.

Yaaay!  I'm sure things will go smoothly for us because God is in the center of all this. :)   If other soon-to-wed couples feel stressed with the nitty-gritty of wedding preps, we are not. In fact, Rolly and I are only thrilled to bits, and wedding preps is our ultimate stress reliever.  Weeee! Malapit na malapit na malapit naaaa!

Over the moon,

Thankful

Instagrammed

I am currently reading this book by Francis Kong, "The Early Bird Catches the Worm But the Second Mouse Gets the Cheese."  I was on the Acknowledgments page when I read these beautiful words about
BEING THANKFUL.

• I am thankful... For the husband who complains when his dinner is not on time because he is home with me, not with someone else.
• For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because that means she is at home and not on the streets.
• For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.
• For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.
• For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.
• For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.
• For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.
• For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech.
• For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
• For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.
• For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means that I can hear.
• For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.
• For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.
• For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.
• And finally, for too much e-mail, because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

WE HAVE TO BE THANKFUL.  THERE ARE JUST SO MANY GOOD THINGS GOING FOR US.

As I was typing the words, I couldn't help but feel very blessed.  Every single statement is true, and I bet you could add more.  God is sooooo good that He showers us with sooooo many wonderful things each day, but sadly, we often overlook the good and see the not-so-good instead.   This I am guilty of. =(  For instance:  I normally dream about work, and I almost always end up awaking tired or with a headache. Now I realize that I should be grateful.  It only means that I have a nice job that's far from being boring, and that's why I even dream about it!  =D  Hmm, can you think of other blessings in disguise? :)  

• For the scorching heat of the summer sun, because it means that we're dry and calamity-free (Remember Ondoy and Sendong?) :)
• For our mommies who talk non-stop, because it means they are here with us and they care. 
• For our strict fathers who track where we go and what we do, because it means we have doting daddies who remain concerned even if we're already old enough. :)
• For the huge or heavy responsibility at work, because it means we are trusted.
• For the credit card bills we receive each month, because it means we're capable of paying (or we won't be approved by the bank to begin with). =D
• For not being able to book that Cebu Pacific promo flight, because it means we have resources to travel if we want to.
• For our nerve-racking exams, because it means we are privileged to go to school.
• For not having a significant other yet, because it means God is painstakingly finding only the best one for us.
• For our broken heart, because it means the wrong one has gone and we're now free to meet the one meant for us.
• For the long queue at the ATM machine, because it means we have money to withdraw.
• For the trouble in choosing which dress to wear every day, because it means we have more than enough in the closet.

This list could go on and on and on and on!  Try to think of one, and you'll realize how nice it feels to acknowledge and count our blessings.  And don't forget to thank God while at it! :)  Feel free to leave a comment if you wanna add your entry to the list.

Happy and blessed,

Save the Date! :)

Mayday! Mayday!  It's the first of May! =D

Today is exactly six months and one week from our day of days! :) According to theknot.com, as a general rule, it's best to start spreading the big day's date to guests around this time (8 months prior for destination weddings).  Notifying them six months before the wedding gives them enough time to ask for a day off from work, or for those who'll be coming from miles away, to book their travel.

Because I'm a compliant bride-to-be, Rolly and I have already started sending out our Save the Date cards to our guests.  We're not having a huge wedding, so all invited guests are really close to us and to our families.  The last thing that we'd want is for any one of them to forget our wedding date. =P

Here's our STD card which I designed. Hehe. ;)

The backdrop behind the caricature is an element from our monogram. :)
The "separator" between ROLLY and JOYCE is an infinity symbol, or a number 8 displayed sideways.

For principal and secondary sponsors as well as members of our entourage, here's the Will-You-Be + Save-the-Date card in one which we already sent out:

There's a considerable headroom on the card for the ribbon. :)

If you already received either of these from us, remember to SAVE THE DATE! :)


Cheers,