THE MARTHA IN ME

When it rains, it pours.


The past rainy weekends found me taking the role of Mary Poppins and bonding with my 4-year old daughter. I shied away from the night scenes and opted to stay on dry land. 


A new past time was in demand as I knew peace and calm won't prevail or last long with the never-ending frustration and battle over pigs and monkeys. Angry Birds make us angry ourselves.


To save us from insanity (we were already hearing pigs snorting in our heads), I got my old origami files and did some paper crafts. 


Nostalgia poured over the rain-stimulated emotions in me as I remembered my childhood, working on origami with my mother. I had a love affair with paper and I used to beg my mom to take me to Papemelroti for a fresh supply of art materials. My childhood was infused with arts and crafts, and much of what I learned back then came in handy at work.


And now, they help kill boredom and keep the brain machine alive and working.


As my Tatiana got busy with her new discovery on paper, so did my mind. I skipped the chapter on paper a bit, and moved on to interior design and fabric. I mentally noted some sketches and plans I could do with our apartment and some strips of scrap and old fabric from Candylane - Couture Confectionery's 1st collection. 


Yes, I was channeling the Martha Stewart in me.


I was hooked to the ideas and inspirations I got from magazines and blog sites. And, for about two months now, I have been cheating on fashion with house decors and sewing.

Here's a summary of what I have accomplished so far.

(1) Our L-shaped sofa is everyone's favorite spot. We assembled the white square tables ourselves, and the zebra-print storage seats fit perfectly underneath! (2) Wall and (3) shelf are flanked by images of happiness and love. (4) I love this vintage-inspired mirror! (5) My daily read. Yes, that black thing standing is a wine glass turned instant decor. (6) Ikea stools we bought from a bazaar.

Since I couldn't find the curtains we wanted, we resorted to buying cloth and making a set of three ourselves! 

Our apartment now is a mix of black and white --- from furniture, decors, kitchen ware, etc. There's still a lot of breathing spaces left in the living and dining room, and I intend to keep it that way. I found space saving stools and chairs for company, and I turned some illustration into an accordion-type display for visual appeal.

Floral Fabrication. My first attempt in making fabric flowers. Practice makes perfect. On to the next try.

Planning a wedding can be a bit overwhelming. THE date is still months from now, but I wanted to start early with the fabric neckpieces I'll be giving out to my bridesmaids. After all, I haven't done any in the past and being a first timer, and a perfectionist at that, I wanted to try different techniques until I get it right. I reviewed the basics in paper crafts and tested them on fabric. Good thing we have lots of old fabric at home which I can work on for the meantime. 

One day at a time. Project: Favor Boxes. Day 1 was dedicated to drawing out the pattern on all the sheets of board paper.

My daughter is turning 5 in February. How time flies! Mommy Meg, as always, is cramming on the preparations for her little patisserie themed celebration. When it comes to my daughter, I am very hands on. That same attitude extends all the way to planning her birthday, designing her invitations, party dress, and tags, editing the video presentation,  and mapping out the itinerary and program for the party. And so the usual grind continues and I am now on Day 1 with the party planning. 

My friend found it impossible that I get to do all these things with the amount of work I do in the office and for my clothing line / cyber store. I say: Anything is possible. Life is too short and we should make the most out of each moment. There is a great amount of self-worth and fulfillment in being able to use the gifts you are blessed with. 

While single parenthood is a big challenge, I make sure I live my life to the fullest. I still work on my personal and professional growth. Weekdays are dedicated for work and mommy duties, while weekends are for fun and quality time with my daughter, family, and friends, This kind of balance and time management allows me to discover more about myself and the joys of living.

As a parting note, I'd like to share this text art I saw on line which helped me in my daily tasks and challenges.

AND YOU CAN TOO!

Always believe that you can make a difference. Learn something new every day. It is never too late. Knowledge is a life long process, so take it one day at a time. Miracles don't happen over night. 

Just like what the TVC slogan said: Great things start from small beginnings.