Back to Cali--Back to Reality

I'm back!!! 

Our Spring Break was spent up north in Seattle, WA and we had such a BEAUTIFUL time as always. Loved that even though the forecast expected rain for most of our stay, it was nothing but sunny blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's. It was surprising and even the locals were saying they think we must have brought them the sunshine. Ha! I'm just thankful that everyday during our stay we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Pacific Northwest and do all the fun things we wanted to do without being wet from rain. Such a blessing!

Now that our break is over, its back to reality, back to the grind, and back to a healthy diet! We all know that when you're traveling and staying in a hotel, dining out is inevitable unless you have those hotel suites with a kitchenette so you can cook your own meals. But between all the activities, sightseeing, driving around town, and visiting with friends and family, I wouldn't have had the time or energy anyways. So yeah, I came home and weighed in to find that I had gained FIVE pounds. Oh snap! I don't regret it though, we ate some good food up there. Photos of my food journey coming up soon in another post!

Anyways, I am dreading tomorrow. Mondays usually suck, but tomorrow is probably going to be harder than usual as it always is after a nice vacay like we just had. But, I gotta do what I gotta do. We are all going to be in bed early (at least try) so we can actually survive getting up in the morning, get ready, eat breakfast, take the boys to school, hubby goes off to work, and I will need to seriously need to get down to business. Lots of ideas and goals I have for Makita Studio began to clarify while I was away and I need to stay focused and decide on where I want to take my art this year and the next 5 years, short and long term goals to be exact. :)

So, I hope to get the ball rolling and we'll see where this will go!


xo,

iPhoneography Inspiration To Paint

Last night, I was going through my iPhone photos and kept coming back to this photo I took of the blooming Cherry Blossoms that are starting to make its appearance everywhere. I love the colors of the pink and white against the blue sky. It is so gorgeous.... Spring is definitely in the air and I cannot wait to see more signs of spring reveal itself as we begin to see flowers in bloom and hopefully more sunshine... Because this girl needs me some SUN and I'm so looking forward to feeling its warmth up here in Northern California.

Spring, just come now already!!!

Anyways, onto what I was saying.... with Instagram and my latest favorite photo app, Tadaa, photos are instantly turned into works of art. I love playing around with the filter affects and making colors pop or give it that retro affect. If you think about it, long gone are those days when cell phones were merely used for just calling peeps, but now its used for almost everything from email, shopping, social media, planning, listening to music, watching videos.... my goodness, technology has definitely changed and evolved. But, I absolutely love the fact that smart phones have the ability to transform into a camera or video recorder. NOW, that is such a huge breakthrough for us photo geeks.:)

One thing I knew I had to do when I came across the photo above was to paint it and practice my still life painting skills. I came across another artist on Instagram--@bettyann--who has truly inspired me to learn this other concept of painting. I'm sure there are many still life artists out there who are amazing, but seeing this lady's work led me to give my hand a try at it... Betty, if you're reading, thank you for inspiring me :)

Down below is my painted picture of Spring Blossoms using Caran d' Ache Neocolor II crayons and a water brush pen and that's it. I lightly sketched out the branches and from there I painted the flowers first, then branches, and then filled in the blue sky last. I wasn't sure how it would turn out as I randomly painted the blooms with no predetermined idea of how to do it. Everything just flowed so freely, something that doesn't happen too often as I'd like. To me, although it may not seem like a big thing, it's a pretty huge accomplishment. Yay! So, here's to my first watercolor still life painting in my art journal! I have lots of practicing to do and as I go about life, I'm going to keep my eyes open and will continue to be inspired by the beauty around me and paint, paint, paint...

Love Day Recap

Love Day Recap

I know it's a week later and Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I just wanted to share a recap of the highlights of last week and to serve as a reminder to myself of how special it was.

I Heart Cheesecake | Discovered this lovely bakery in San Carlos, CA called Zest Bakery. All their goods are either gluten free and/or vegan. Love that!!!

 This one is a Blueberry Cheesecake. Delicious!!!

My first time trying a Vegan Chocolate Cupcake + the verdict is out of this world. I am definitely going back for these....

My own homemade, fresh baked, Chocolate Chip Cookies....Shaped in a heart of course :)

Picked up my youngest, Lucas, from Kindergarten and was excited to find him all covered up in this heart shaped paper decorated by him.

I decided to make handmade cards for my boys with a handwritten message of how much they mean to me. It's the beginning of a new tradition....

Josiah, who is now reading like a pro, reads it aloud. Such a sweet moment....

My oldest with his first Valentine's Card from Mommy 

Lucas, my youngest baby, doesn't quite know how to read yet, but as I read it to him, I saw his eyes light up with joy to hear my words of affirmation and love for him.

Lucas hugs his card.

***

Happy 83rd Birthday Great Lola

Another year to celebrate this woman that is who we call 'Lola' which means grandmother in Filipino. She is 83 years old and is still full of so much life, love, and faith. We no longer live in the same home, but there is no distance in our love for her. We visit her every week, cherishing her presence as much as we can and bringing her joy through my boys, her great grandchildren, which helps to keep her living life to the fullest.

Lolo (grandfather) is 90 years old, but don't be fooled because he has the energy and strength of a 20 year old. He still has his license and drives around wherever he pleases. All those morning oatmeal and banana breakfasts, soups with vegetables and fish, definitely has a lot to do with it. This photo is special because Lucas and Lolo have such a special bond. He always hugs him close and says that he wants Lucas to stay with him...

For Lola's birthday, Lucas gave his "heart" to his great grandmother and he is showing her that he knows how to spell his name. 

Lola with her great grandkids + my niece Arielle.

Every little kiss I can get from my kids is a gift that I cherish. I love being my kids' Mom and will never take these little moments for granted.

Lucas, is starting to learn how to write and this precious note is hanging on my fridge. I think I'm going to frame this for sure.....

***

As for my husband and I, we didn't have any time together alone since it was on a weekday and we wanted to spend it with Lola for her birthday. But, we do have a date night planned very soon. :)

Hope your Valentine's Day was special! 

xoxo,

{Instagram} January Photo Challenge Recap

Instagram Photo Challenge :: January 2012

Just a recap of my Instagrams for the monthly photo challenge that I'm following along. The challenges are curated by this wonderful lady, Chantelle, over at Fat Mum Slim. Not only am I doing this for myself, but I'm really enjoying the plethora of Instragram photos from people all over the globe as they share their takes on the daily challenges as well. What makes it even better is having a few of my close friends and family taking on the challenge as well.

Here is my month of January. If you're wondering how I created this mosaic, I used this wonderful site called Big Huge Labs (FREE to join by the way) that will create a mosaic of your photos depending on how many rows or columns you prefer. But first, I had all my photos uploaded to Flickr in a individual set and that is where I sourced my photos from. Then, I chose the option to save it to my computer and added the text through Photoshop which I'm sure you could do through any photo editing program. And VOILA! 

1. self portrait 2. breakfast 3. what I Adore 4. letterbox 5. something i wore 6. what makes me smile 7. favorite 8. my sky

9. daily routine 10. childhood 11. where i [used] to sleep 12. close up 13. in my bag 14. what i'm reading

15. happiness 16. morning 17. water 18. something bought 19. sweet 20. someone i love 21. reflections

22. shoes 23. something old 24. guilty pleasures 25. something i made 26. color 27. lunch 28. light

29. inside my fridge 30. nature 31. self portrait again

If you'd like to join in and follow me on Instagram, my username is under 'dahliaco'

Pacifica Sunset | Love Is Constant | Family Time

Late Sunday afternoon, my family and I took a leisure walk by the beach and stayed to watch the sunset. I had been sick all week and wanted to enjoy time with my family. The weather was warm and breezy as it usually is sometimes in late October, which we call Indian Summer.  The view of the ocean was so peaceful and serene as the waves were so unusually calm. The sun cast this glow that made the entire ocean look golden. It was simply beautiful. 

As the sun lowered in the horizon, I thought about how the sun sets and rises every single day. We know that when night comes, that the morning is inevitably going to come the next day. It reminded me of two things. One, how some things in life are CONSTANT, even when a lot of things seem to change. Time is constant. The sun and moon are constant. The waves are constant. And it soon made me realize how so many times, through so many seasons that I've gone through, God's love has always remained constant. So whatever seasons I go through, I know that nothing can change His love for me. Secondly, I was reminded that every day is a NEW day. The moment the sun goes down, I have to try my best to leave my past troubles or worries behind, and start the next day with a new and fresh attitude that I can make it a better day. I know, it's never that easy to do and I may not always accomplish it, but sometimes when I stop to look at the world around me and the wisdom that comes from His creation, I can't help but to remember to live each day as if it were my last. I don't want to waste time, spending my life carrying unnecessary baggage or resentment. I don't want to keep questioning my past and continue to live in regret. I don't want to let life slip by while I'm too hung up on feeling sorry for myself or caught up in thinking 'what if' I did this or that. I want to enjoy my life regardless of the disappointments and mistakes that I or other people have made. Each day is a gift and I intend to receive each day as another chance to make better choices and become a better person. 

We live and learn. And in everything we go through, we have a loving Father who "works everything out for good, according to His purpose and plan." Wherever the road leads me, I know that if I stumble and fall, I know that I'll find my way back on track again and the Lord will guide me where I need to go, because GOD'S LOVE IS CONSTANT.

[At the cliff side]

[Walk on water = step out in faith]

[Stay Gold]

[Shadows of Time]

[Colors of Heaven]

[Like the sun that rises and sets, His love is CONSTANT]

[PRECIOUS: A Father + Son Moment | My hubby & youngest son, Lucas]

Be Blessed,

CAMERA BAG WISHLIST

Right now, these babies are on my wish list. :) Yes, I know that these cost a fortune, but they will definitely pay off in the long run because of the amazing photos that it will produce. Just do a search on them and you'll see what I'm talking about!!! I am looking forward to the day when I can go crazy with these! Check it out....

Canon 5D Mark II

Canon 50mm f/1.2 L-Series USM Lens

Canon 85mm f/1.2 L-Series USM Lens

Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L-Series USM Lens

Canon 35mm f/1.4 Wide Angle L-Series USM Lens

Canon Speedlight 580 EX II Flash

Of course, I've got a longer list which include accessories, tools, and other extras, but these are what I would like focus on getting first... In the meantime, we are using a Canon 7D, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L II Telephoto lens, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6, and Speedlite 430 EX Flash and working with what we have when doing photo shoots.  So far so good, but it would be so awesome to upgrade to the 5D Mark II and lenses. It will probably be a while before I can even think of owning these, but I am going to make it happen somehow, someway.... :) :) :) 

I'm working on hubby and I's portfolio site for ICEBOX IMAGES, so we can begin to showcase our work for all the world to see and hopefully gain more interest to have us photograph weddings, portraits, families, newborn and children sessions in our local area. It's our dream to be full-time one day, but we're taking this one step at a time and enjoying the journey together! Photographer for hire anyone???

Taking a breath....

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to check in and let you all know that I'm still around! I've been taking a little time to exhale and just BE. My little man, Josiah, just graduated Kindergarten and my youngest is starting this fall. Being that I have been a SAHM for these past 6+ years, it's been pretty emotional for me. I often stop and realize the truth about this quote--"the past is history, the future is a mystery, and the present is a GIFT." Time is surely one of those gifts that I just do not take for granted which is why I have made more effort these past weeks to be away from the computer and more present with my kids....

Also, my hubby has landed a new job that although he took a fairly small pay cut, it is located closer to home, great hours, and is one of the top fortune companies to work for. So, because he can be home more often and have more time to enjoy life as a husband and father, it's been such a wonderful change for all of us, especially the boys who love being able to see their Daddy before bedtime. Some of their favorite activities together are trips to the park, playing chess, working in the garden, and walks by the beach. And I have been so blessed to be able to have him home in time to eat dinner together as a family and for him to relieve me from time to time as I need my own little breaks....

So, thank you all for being patient with me and I hope you are enjoying your summer so far. I have a few projects in progress and upcoming collabs in the works! Be sure to check back and follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter for current updates.

In the meantime.... LIVE. LOVE. CREATE!!!!!!!!

Elderly Love....

The last week or so, Lola (filipino name for grandmother) has had a few visits to the ER because of her heart and gave all of us a scare. But, as we kept our faith and prayed for her, she came out of it okay. She is a fighter both physically and spiritually. Today, we decided to all go to the beach and take a walk with Lola. She has been advised by the doctor to try and get some exercise. She struggled at first, each step was a little challenging for her, but she kept going. After a short stretch, she wanted to turn around and go back, but we found a bench where she can sit and rest. All of us gathered around her and I could not help but take this picture of my boys sitting with their great grandparents (shown above). It made my heart simply melt.

As we started our walk back to the car, I know she was really pushing herself to take each step. She expressed that she was already tired and wanted to go home. We all congratulated her and enthusiastically told her that we were proud of her :) She looked at us and just gave us this big old smile! It was GREAT! She also said, "I'm happy. You're spending time with Lola."

Sometimes, I can't help but really admire elderly couples who have been married for decades and still hold on to one another with sincere devotion and dedication. It's such a gift and it is the example that I hope my husband and I hope to follow. Also, it is such a blessing to witness that they have lived to see the fourth generation. At 82 (LOLA-great grandmother) and 89 (LOLO-great grandfather), they are still very much alive and well with hearts and minds that are still strong and sharp. They do suffer age related weaknesses, but nonetheless, they have managed to keep going and refuse to stop living life as much as possible. 

Time is so short. I can't help but realize that these are the years to really cherish life with Lola and Lolo. It's amazing how their lives have made such an impact upon us that I know will last forever. My boys especially cannot go a day without wanting to be with them or at least see them since they live downstairs in our home. Their presence has definitely been significant in our home and in our family, always showing us compassion, love, and support. There have been lots of memories created with my boys that are priceless and precious, moments that I hope my boys will always remember. Every day, I hope to make every second count with them and to really treasure their lives as much as possible...