insta-lately

in case you don't follow me in instagram (@swankychicfete), here's a quick instagram photo dump from the merry month of january. of course the new year started with lots of work in the office which by the way never ends. then there was my birthday which i quietly celebrated with friends and family. it was really nice and i am so grateful for another year passed with good health and love-filled life.

i am looking forward tfor the month of february and the obvious day to celebrate on the 14th. valentine's day is a family affair for us, it's no big deal but i think we'll do something extra special, we'll see. 

happy hump day! 

weekend photo recap

how was everyone's weekend? our's was really nice. i'll share a little photo recap here. despite allergy attacks, we were able to enjoy the perfect-weather weekend! 

in case you don't follow me in instagram, @swankychicfete. have a great week ahead friends! 

pause

{via}

as much as i wanted to post yesterday, sometimes life just makes you do otherwise. i am glad to be able to manage my time accordingly to fulfill my fulltime job, wife duties, keeping up with a busy first grader and putting up regular blogposts for this little blog. 

but we all know, that's not the case all the time. aston  has really bad seasonal allergies and with a most recent class fieldtrip to hermann park the other day, he has been battling congestion and last night, a low grade fever. 

so, everything's in the backseat for now. we are awaiting his pediatrician's office to open. he is quietly sleeping next to me as i catch up reading emails, favorite blogs, watching tv news and slightly doing what i do best - multitasking to get things done at my own pace. 

how's your thursday? 

bored or tired?

so, this post is extremely late. and as you can tell, i have the case of mid-week exhaustion. 

but despite all that, i am pretty excited to meet some girlfriends tonight for some gastronomic delight courtesy of houston restaurant week. 

there may or may not be a thursday blogpost, i can tell you right now. so, we shall see. you can still catch me here though :) xoxo

happy 6th birthday aston!

 

happy birthday to our special guy!

we are proud to be your parents and we pray you will continue to be a loving little  guy that yearn to learn more and will grow up God-fearing and humble. never cease to be curious, never stop to be courteous and respectful. always be thankful.

we will celebrate this day with such grateful hearts that we have been blessed by you in our lives!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASTON! 

~ images by ailynne

life lately

 this week has been a crazy week! 

i am officially making today, thursday my own friday. i have to sign off early to finalize everything for aston's  party this saturday. we also have family arriving tomorrow from out of town to celebrate his birthday and the long memorial weekend with us. and today is aston's  last day in school before summer so he is celebrating an end-of-school year water activity party with his classmates. so much to be excited about! 

thought i'd share a few favorites this week : 

• houston peeps, have you been to blow dry bar lately? humidity is back and my hair can't handle it. after a relaxing shampoo, i usually ask them to straighten my hair with a huge curling brush. i find that that technique adds huge volume on my thick hair that lasts for days. 
• i am a huge fan of chanel glossimer (in giggle and volupte) and ysl rouge volupte shine lipstick (in #16 and #7). both formulation are so light with lots of color pigmentation that's perfect for summer! 
• i stopped by michaels yesterday to pick up more party stuff and found this really cool inexpensive zebra glass tray for only $5! i LOVE that it's orange, pattern packed and has a zebra!
• ooooh i have to share my new favorite bronzer lorac with you. it's fast drying and i love the illuminizing sheen it leaves on my bronzed skin. it has a faint pleasant smell that i like too! 
• yesterday was aston's  kindergarten celebration graduation. the kids had a little presentation for the parents and we had a nice luncheon with everyone afterwards. i'll have to download pics from my big camera for that. but for now, this will do. so proud of all of them! 
• finally, i am just in love with my pom clutch made my albertina of mimosa lane. it is such a summer staple and i am actually taking it out again tonight for date night! 

huge thanks to julie for the Beautiful Mess iPhone app tip ~ this collage's fonts and patterns were created solely with that fun app! 

ENJOY THE MEMORIAL WEEKEND friends!

photoshop to-go

i have a fun app to share with you today. my friend nina told us about this makeup app for your iphone that you can use to instantly photoshop faces. it's called perfect365 (its a free app). 

using the app, you can perfect your skin by smoothening, brightening or removing blemish from it. you can even alter image by slimming the face, lifting the cheeks or enhancing the nose (it's like plastic surgery on your phone ~ hahaha!). 

you can also play with different makeup looks, add lashes, enlarge eyes  or change eye color. it is super fun and really, i think it's genius. hurry and get the app and play along with me!

here are a couple of shots from mother's day brunch. i played along and enhanced my features by darkening my makeup, whitened my teeth and trimmed my face - i tell you it's better than a makeover or plastic surgery! 

i'm wearing joie blouse and jewelry from pbc closet. 

aston is wearing a shirt from zara kids. 

about pinterest

i just had to end an already awesome week with a high note. earlier this week, pinterest rolled out their new ABOUT page design and i was thrilled to be a part of it. a few months ago, they contacted me on submitting a few pictures relating to my superhero/star wars board i created to collate all my party inspiration for aston's birthday party last year. they mentioned that they will be revamping their site's design and would love to include real people utilizing pinterest in their daily lives (uhm yeah, i definitely use it everyday!). they will be choosing a few so it wasn't a confirmed deal. 

so, i ended up submitting a couple of pictures my niece ailynne took at the party and it was indeed a pleasant surprise to finally receive an email from them a few weeks ago. then just the other day, i saw the completed amazing page redesign. can't contain myself i just had to share it! 

thanks pinterest! 

if you are planning a superhero or star wars - themed party anytime soon, stop by my board, browse around and re-pin tons of party inspiration! 

jury duty

today i am slowly dragging my feet to the courthouse to serve my duty as a citizen of this country. in case you'll be wondering why i'll be quiet on this end later today, you know where i am. crossing fingers (and toes) i don't get picked! 

Source: focuseddistortion.blogspot.com via Tina on Pinterest

i'll be back hopefully soon!

my birthday weekend

here's a quick look at my birthday weekend shindig! 

 photos from friends nina and rae 

it's my birthday!

{source}

the only difference is that today is really my birthday!

birthday reflections

birthdays are really bittersweet for me. exciting and thankful that you've reach milestones and yet realizing the honest truth that you're not getting any younger. ha! 

tomorrow's my birthday and a few celebrations have kicked off already as early as yesterday with some fabulous girlfriends. i don't know what the husband has got planned but i'm sure it'll include a great meal and lots of cupcakes!

i don't have a birthday wish as tradition dictates but i'm praying for years of happiness to come as i see our little boy grow in to a fine young man, growing old together with my husband and enjoy what life brings us. 

Source: froufroufashionista.blogspot.com via Kileyfornia on Pinterest

this weekend, i am looking forward to a pleasant time with loved ones and just be grateful for all the many blessings!  

enjoy the weekend loves!

insta-week

wow. hours and minutes go fast but the days seem to last longer although the week is almost over. we are looking forward to another weekend and hopefully, getting most things done on my to-do list including a back-to-school tax free weekend shopping that kicks off today! 

before i head on out the door, let me just dump a few iphone photos here from the past week including some shots from the past weekend! 

are you fantasizing fall? i do. i busted out my fall nailpolish colors to get some inspiration! 

oh and pink was the color past weekend! 

our little guy enjoying a ride later in the evening. it's still too hot outside and it's totally brutal. 

we also enjoyed a fantastic sunday brunch at our favorite mexican restaurant, escalante's and we shared a huge plate of french toast cooked the mexican way. i can't say no to caramelized apples! 

after brunch we walked across the street and visited the beautiful showroom of restoration hardware. 

let's just say, i want everything. nuff said. 

i finally joined the bubble necklace cult and they are really cute. they do elevate the look of a simple tshirt. so far i have that green one, a blue bubble pendant and also got a cobalt blue bubble bib necklace and a yellow one that dear friend, nina picked up for me. 

and oh, red velvet sandwich cookies are fixing my sweet cravings lately!  

i am also obsessed with BB creams lately. luckily i found the last one at CVS the other day. it does wonders to my skin so far and you can tell even when you wipe them off after a long day! 

i'm still heavy on metallic nails and this new purple one from essie is divine. it does come out looking like silver but with hints of violet in it. 

just sharing a new hair routine here : moroccan argan oil spray on damp hair adds a bit of shine and relaxes frizz hair. i have naturally wavy hair, so i don't think i need a body wave perm since i wake up with slightly curly hair anyway. so with a spray of oscar blandi dry shampoo and the moroccan argan oil, i'm set! 

lastly, i'm in love with my golden birkin art print by randa of iseenoise prints. it's going to go in my dresser or closet. still undecided. 

OK, i think that's it for the week....you all have a fabulous weekend! 

frametastic friday

it's friday the 13th!

13 has been a lucky number to me and i'm starting my friday sharing the fun past week of my so-called life! 

have you discovered the frametastic app yet? it allows you to make photo collages straight from your phone. this time i'm gathering a few instagram (@swankychicfete) photos capturing my week.

last week, i finally came out of my hair rut and decided to get my roots done and added some highlights at albert luiz salon and spa and i think i've finally found my girl, yvette. she was fantastic! couldn't be more happier. 

we also took aston for his 5 year old check-up and didn't share this before but we had a little rash incident about a month ago after he ate a mixed nut pack bought at the airport. he's been eating PBJ since like forever with no reactions, so we thought he might be allergic to a particular nut. and sure enough, we got him tested and he's allergic to half of the variety of nuts out there. pecans were spared, thank god. yep, that's him showing off the book his pediatrician gave him on his visit.

my may books planner/agenda came in this week and i am excited to jot down my important notes/reminders/schedule on my fabulous notebook  designed and created by me. it came in it's cute packaging and a generous discount code for my next order! LOVE it! 

it's been raining all week and lazy days and nights are here. one evening, i bust out the yummy kim chi ramen noodles i've been saving for those kinds of nights and voila - instant dinner. i paired it with my latest fave san pellegrino arianciata rossa and i am in perfect dinner heaven!

i have been bombarded by emails, comments and texts on where i got the colorful patterned paper straws i posted in facebook and instagram last week - and yes, it's from target! i looked them up online but looks like it's only available in stores. you can find them by the party supplies next to stationery. last time i checked, they were out of them. it's by spritz and priced at $ 1.99/20 pcs. do check your local store from time to time, i'm sure they'll stock up on them again!

i'm not a gym junkie but i sure love going to my barre classes at define. i try to go at least 2-3 times a week and if i just improve on my diet, i'd be losing weight and toning more than where i am now. ha! define recently opened their west u studio and it's amazing! if you're in the houston area, do check them out - hank and the ladies there are awesome!

i've been afraid of polka dots (particularly the big dots) ever since this fashion trend started. i thought they're unflattering on me but i found an adorable inexpensive sheer dotted blouse at marshalls and thought i'd give it a try. can't wait to wear it with my bright jeans or shorts!

lastly, our GIVEAWAY is still open today till tomorrow midnight - stop by and join to win one bracelet of your choice! good luck and have a fantastic weekend, friends!

a birthday post

Source: matchbookmag.tumblr.com via LiliPaz on Pinterest

another year to celebrate and be thankful for the blessings and abundance of love from family and friends!

happy birthday me! 

lili & ben est. 9.2.2000

we celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary today. these words pretty much sum up how i feel and i am so blessed to have him in my life.

happy anniversary, honey! 

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: infinitebeginningx.tumblr.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

let the festivities begin

i am feeling a little festive over here. the weekend is here and only just a few days ago did i realize that the month of july is my first blog birthday! it may seem not a big deal but it is for me!

i started blogging back in 2004/2005 when everyone was in livejournal, blogsome or blogger but i had to quit when i had to focus on being healthy and pregnant in 2006. only last year did i start blogging again when i wanted to document aston's birthday party preparations and stumbled a whole new inspiration along the way and that is YOU!

YOU ~ readers, friends, family and fellow bloggers who remained my biggest supporters are part of this memorable and exciting first year for me. i can't thank you enough for all of your kind and sweet comments. this blog has grown and evolved bigger than i had expected and i am humbled and thrilled that YOU are here!

i have a few fun things in store for everyone in the next few days and weeks leading to the end of july, so keep visiting us here, facebook and also in twitter for updates!

in the meantime, let's enjoy a few whimsical M&M cakes that i've been crushing on lately!

via

via

via

these images are part of a massive inspiration compilation of mine over at pinterest!

click HERE to follow my pins!

4 - oh celebration [a birthday brunch]

i hardly ever celebrate my birthday in a big way but i guess turning 40 warrants a small party with a few close friends. i thought of having a fun casual brunch and since i'm still in big denial, i made it informal and laid back. like i was only turning 28. ha!

i first saw Kelly's (of WH Hostess and the party dress) missoni-inspired collection while browsing on her site last year and that set the tone of the party. this past november, i enlisted her to create our holiday card and she came up with an incredible semi-custom Thanksgiving card which i was really happy about since i was disappointed with our son's Christmas portraits then. we finally decided to go with the Thanksgiving photo cards instead and i was glad it worked out great! but i digress....

 i LOVE all of Kelly's modern patterns incorporated in all her party packages and papergoods collections. this missoni-inspired pattern is perfect for the Mexican brunch venue and i was inspired by it. i even created a mood board for the occasion, seen here. i love the vibrant colors of orange, yellows and lime green mixed with cobalt blue which are mainly the restaurant's colors as well. she printed invites, wraparound address labels, menu cards and tin can labels with this pattern. it all came together beautifully and i decorated the long tables with flowers i arranged in matching custom paperwrapped vases, also created by Kelly. i think they came out lovely!

  

 

 

we feasted on assorted huevos and other breakfast delicacies served the mexican way. my favorite was the their version of french toast called caballeros pobres served with fruits. the french toast's edges were crunchy and the rest of the bread were sweet and creamy and melts in your mouth. dessert selection were churros with dulce de leche filling served with chocolate ice cream, mango sorbet and the birthday cake.

a birthday gift from my dear friend Rae (whose wedding i featured here), the gorgeous cake flavors were buttercream with raspberry filling and chocolate with dulce de leche filling (cake was baked by Rae's talented friend Irma). note that it had the same missoni-pattern fondant on it and they were so yummy!

guests party favors were boxed dulce de leche flavored french macarons and tin cans each filled with my favorite nail polish, Lollia mini soap and shea butter hand creme. those tin cans are so versatile ~ they can be filled with bubble bottles for kids parties or girly accessories/stuff for a grown-up soiree!

last saturday was such a perfect day with the sun out and mild temperatures.
 it was a pretty day to celebrate with my best gal pals and i was happy they spent it with me.

turning 40 is not bad at all. if this is what 40 feels like, then i'll take it. 

{party sources}

venue : HUGO's
party paper accessories and tin can party favors : WH Hostess 
french macarons : Greeneyed Susan
plastic clear boxes : Garnish
"happy birthday" stickers on clear boxes : Paper Source
flowers : Krogers
cakestand : Homegoods
doilies macaron liners and rock candy : Michaels
photography : my bestfriend's hubby and dear friend Loven. thank you!

birthday weekend

it was a beautiful saturday.  

perfect to be with friends sipping mimosas and celebrating my birthday.

i'm afraid turning 40 would be traumatic. we'll see. my actual birthday is this wednesday.

i will post more pictures then.

{photo by my bestfriend joy's dear hubby loven}

stylish blogger award & friday faves

it has been an exciting week here in S:C:F as our little blog received a few recognitions from some of my favorite blogs! i am humbled and honored for this nomination and i hope to continue to live up to this award, being a stylish blogger!

a BIG THANK YOU to the following blogs and their authors for the nomination. i share this award with you guys (*me holding up my little oscar statue*)  :

CASSIE of hi sugarplum

ABBY of a delightful design

 J and J home   now here comes the fun part where i get to share 7 random facts about me and my life :  

• i was almost named "Constituta" by my parents in honor of my dear uncle greg (RIP) who was named one of the delegates to the Philippine Consitution Convention in the 70s (Lili sounds way better, dont you think?)
• i have been married to my dear hubby for 10 yrs last september. little guy aston joined us in our 7th year together
• i grew up in a loving family (5 kids - 3 girls and 2 boys) with a teacher mom and a banker dad. growing up, i have fond memories of our long drives to the beach on saturdays (and stopping by the local farmers market on our drive home) back in the Philippines
• some of my odd jobs in the past before becoming a registered nurse ~ a) "hand" model for TV commercials/ads; b) flight attendant in the 90s
• as a registered nurse ~ i had worked as a pediatric clinic nurse, hospice nurse, home health nurse, nurse at a nursing home/rehab hosp and a lymphoma cancer research nurse
• as a little girl ~ i was an avid collector of stamps, stationary, sanrio, sweet dreams pocketbooks (do you guys remember those? maybe not. revealing my age much? yes). i was a tomboy too who loves to ride the skateboard and motorcross bike (i would steal my little brother's bike) and who almost made it to the girls high school varsity basketball team 
• i was only 96 lbs in college (i wish i can turn back time)

I now award this STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD to the following blogs i follow and admire *drum roll please* (they are my FRIDAY FAVES today too) JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE CABBY CRAFTER HANGING WITH THE HEWITTS PURE JOY EVENTS BON VIVANT CONTESSA MOMMY AMOUR DESIGNER BAGS AND DIAPERS PLAIN AND FANCY LIVING PAMPERS, PLAYDATES AND PARTIES THE WEEKEND GOURMET KRISTEN ELLIS DESIGN i hope i didn't bore you with some of my life details but seriously, this is awesome. blogging was just a personal journal for me which stemmed from when i was prepping for our son's birthday party last year. i am happy to say that it has grown more than what i expected it to be and i'm happy that i'm just able to share this experience with you.  HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL!