A DREAM COME TRUE: TE-MENDOZA NUPTIALS

 

Almost every girl dreams of a perfect wedding --- a touch of pink, 3-tiered cake, some sparkle, and a princess-cut wedding dress. This dream came true for Melissa Mendoza-Te.

“Ritchie and I met in 2005. He is 3 years older than me and he’s pretty much the old fashioned type,” shares the new bride.

 

“I grew up in Fairfield, California and he grew up in Davao. Moving to Davao for college was quite an adjustment for me but I was lucky that Ritche was there to guide me through. He taught me how to speak the native language and he made it easier to adapt to the culture here. He was very patient with me. After college, Ritchie had to oversee family business outside Davao and while I stayed and worked here. We only saw each other on weekends. It was hard but, somehow, we managed.”

 

“We've been planning our wedding since February 2012. We wanted to polish all the details as early as possible, in hopes that the last 2 months before the big day would have be easy on us. But then again, not everything goes as planned. There were a lot of changes made in terms of logistics and suppliers. Good thing that Noel Tanza, our wedding coordinator, already have so much experience in dealing with these kinds of problems. He handled everything from top to bottom.”

 

“My wedding gown was designed by Erwin Lee Tan. I’ve always loved his work. Aside from my bridal gown, he also made Ritche's suit and all the dresses for the entourage. Erwin made a very edgy yet sexy kind of dress for my mom, which was she really wanted. Our trip to Erwin's shop was always a pleasant one. I was so touched because on my wedding day, he also gave me a hair piece to go with my gown as a gift.”

 

“All the suppliers I worked with were just amazing. Noel Tanza did an amazing job on transforming the reception venue a Modern Victorian-themed setting. Working with Noel and his team, we knew that all our wedding needs would be taken care of and that we were in good hands.”

 

 

The wedding was attended by family, close friends and relatives from Davao, U.S.A, Canada, Australia, and Manila.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 and A4, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 224, 29 January 2014

 

 

MODERN MINIMALIST

 

While scanning a multitude of Instagram posts, I stumbled upon some interesting artwork by a budding artist whose style has gained a good following at such a short span of time. Hers was modern in approach, yet minimalist in medium.

 

 

“I call it pen art,” explains 28-year old Katrina “Tanya” Gaisano-Lee. With the aid of a pen and marker, she was able to “visualize” her own identity in the art scene.

 

Tanya, who hails from a family of entrepreneurs, is a certified practitioner on child developmental education. Her profession took her to Beijing and Shanghai, where she worked as a private English tutor.

 

Married and currently residing in Davao City, this “accidental artist” revisited her passion for art and began doodling in the early part of year 2013. “It was my husband who encouraged me to pursue my passion. To me, art is an expression of myself. It channels my creativity.” Tanya made her first sale in February.

 

 

“I started with abstract pieces, mostly subjects in black. After a certain time, I was able to create an interrelated series based on a certain theme.”

“I draw inspiration from all my travels. I try to translate new experiences into art, whether as a subject or a form, and make it my own. Art has influenced me with how I view things. Everything I see becomes a prospective subject or theme. Over time, I've been able to hone my skill with the intricate patterns I use and gain a certain confidence to experiment with colors.”

 

“I work at home, usually in the mornings when I wake up I start sketching. I start with a theme then create a series. I choose the colors according to my mood, depending on what’s also suited to the theme.”

 

 

“I've done quite a number of customized pieces and series for clients. Recently, I’ve been working on a “mother and child” series. I've also made some pieces featuring animals, yoga poses, and nudes. My themes are pretty diverse. On days I cannot think of a subject to draw, I just revisit some of my previous work or scan through my pile of photos to look for new inspirations.”

 

 

“Art has become a part of my daily life. I'll probably keep drawing and sketching until I’ll become physically incapable to do so.”

For more on made to order pieces, you may email Tanya at tgaisano@yahoo.com. You may also follow @tanyagaisanolee on Instagram to view her other works and art series.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1 and A4, Indulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 219, 22 January 2014

HANDMADE CRAFTS BY KAY FANLO

Polymer Clay is the latest craze in the arts and crafts medium. It is a craft compound that can be molded and shaped into a variety of products. This material is enjoyable to work with and is ideal for a variety of craft projects because of its fine texture and bright colors. What makes polymer clay even more special is its versatility, making it one of the most creative and profitable crafts. A small amount of initial investment can already give you a range of business possibilities as you can use polymer clay to make sculptures, beads, pendants, buttons, Christmas ornaments and more.

 

Take it from mompreneur Kay Mendoza-Fanlo. Her handmade success circles around the pretty bits and pieces she creates out of polymer clay. Her love for arts and crafts paved way for her to turn a simple hobby into a business, making custom-made products such as jewelry, decorative ornaments, party favors, giveaways and cake toppers.

Any kind of craft requires practice to become truly astute. In the Kay’s case, her practice began long before she even entered school.

 

“I have been in love with arts and crafts since I was a child,” shares Kay. “I grew up surrounded with relatives who are into different art mediums. My mom is a dressmaker and my dad is an expert in anything handmade. I grew up without any new toys to play with, so I resorted to tinkering with little wonders that were available at hand --- buttons, beads, spare fabric and strings. This, in a way, taught me to be creative and resourceful.  It kept my mind and hands busy. My mom would even take me with her when she sources out fabric, ribbons, laces, buttons and beads. When I was in high school, she would ask me to put beads on the wedding gowns she sewed and pay me P500 for each work done.  I was in college when I started earning money by selling hand-made accessories like butterfly, dragonfly and spider necklaces. Some of those were also displayed for consignment at a souvenir shop in Eden Nature Park. I continued making accessories until after I graduated from the university and landed my first job.”

 

 

“When my husband and I went to Bohol for a vacation, I took the opportunity to sell my accessories to some souvenir shops in the area, like the Bohol Bee Farm Resort. I told my husband that I would like to take a long break before looking for another job. I was curious about pottery and dreamed of making my own pots. Unfortunately, I was not able to find some of the materials I needed. And then, I bumped into polymer clays.  I discovered that with this material I could make I wanted using polymer clay. When my husband's job required us to move back to Davao, I took the bold move to completely let go of the corporate world to become a full time mom and concentrate on my craft."

 

 

"At first, my interest in clay was just a hobby, but eventually friends expressed their interest in buying the little trinkets I made. Soon, my clientele grew and that was when I decided to create my own brand, Bits to Pieces. Since then, orders just keep coming in.”

 

 

 

“My daughter is my number 1 critic. I can see that she also has the same passion for arts and crafts like I did when I was young. She always lends me a hand. It’s great that she understands my business and knows that whatever we have at home comes from hard-earned money.”

 

 

 

“Whatever your reason, starting a craft business and making it successful can demand a lot of time and effort on your part. This venture of mine turned out to be the most rewarding investment. I love what I do. It’s my passion. It feels like I'm not working at all. Not only do I get to earn from something that I love doing, I also get to enjoy quality time with my kids.”

 

 

To view more of Kay’s crafts and products, please log on to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bitstopieces. You may also contact her for orders at mobile no. 0917-310-3047.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 214, 15 January 2014. 

 

 

HOMECOMING QUEEN

Photo by Paul Borromeo | HMUA: Glenn de Guzman

Let's first take it from where I ended my interview 2 years ago with Nikita Pia Ortega McElroy, who at that time was just launched in a controversial clothing ad campaign.  

The Davaoeña model spoke about her hopes and dreams. "I hope for bigger things. Ten years from now, I’d probably have found my courage to take my chances in other fields such as hosting, or join the academe. Who knows? I may end up as a teacher here or abroad. The thought of going international, in terms of modeling, won’t hurt either. After all, nothing is impossible. Everyone has to do their own part to realize their goals. You just really gotta have a brave heart, and I never give up even when challenges try to hinder my path. It helps that I went through an unhappy time earlier in my life, because now I get to appreciate my assets and blessings, and know what it is I really want to do in life. I put my heart and soul in everything I do, no matter how big or small.”

Nikita in 8 pages of Metro Magazine (November 2013 issue)

The story was published in August 2012. Fast forward to year 2013, we saw Nikita in series of fashion editorials. Cosmopolitan magazine even named her as one of the 8 sexiest female models. It was also in this year that she won the title of Miss Resorts World - Manila. To Nikita, everything is coming up roses.

She is listed in Cosmopolitan Magazine as 1 of the 8 sexiest models

Judging from last year's highlights, one can really proudly say that this feisty model of African-Filipino descent will soon be the next BIG thing to happen in the modeling industry.

 

Nikita on the cover of Circuit Magazine's January issue

I took a chance to see Nikita during her homecoming shoot at LeadFoto Studios last weekend. It was one of those spur of the moment randomness where we didn't have pegs and just played around with available fabric. Between flashes of light, Nikita twirled, laughed, and posed en vogue. She was in her element and, clearly, she enjoyed this so-called downtime at the studio with one of her most trusted photographers, Paul Borromeo (who was also instrumental in Nikita's success during her first few years in modeling). 

Crowned as Miss Resorts World Manila 2013

I wondered if the dog-eat-dog world in the metro ever made a diva out of Nikita. She laughed when the question was popped by our friend. She quipped, "Jusmiyo! Never. Not me." She smiled mischievously, flipped her hair, and danced around the studio like a little girl.

Photo by Paul Borromeo | HMUA: Glenn de Guzman

Looking at the tall and voluptuous Nikita, whose unassuming air and perky mood could easily draw attention from any spectator, I realized that nothing much has changed. Even after she bagged enough bragging rights (the beauty title, magazine features, print ads, etc), Nikita remained down to earth and humble. Her training at PMAP (Professional Models Association of the Philippines) served its purpose in making a vamp out of the innocent Davaoena. By this, I mean her projection in front of the lens, her intuition and maturity.

Photo by Paul Borromeo | HMUA: Glenn de Guzman

Paul and I were just beaming with pride as we watched Nikita doodle and scribble her message on the dressing room wall right after the shoot. The message "Punks not dead" was already running in my head as Nikita started to write. Then again, that would be so "yo-mah-homies" for her. Instead, in her true character, she wrote in local lingo and spelled out her gratitude to Paul for the countless of photo sessions which, she joked, were sometimes "pinakalit at pinaabtik" (unplanned and rushed).

 

Photo by Paul Borromeo | HMUA: Glenn de Guzman

"This girl will go a long way. A lot can be said about this young lady. She ventured out of her comfort zone to take on the concrete jungle that is Manila.  Through determination and all odds, she is achieving her dreams," Paul beams.

 

Photo by Paul Borromeo | HMUA: Glenn de Guzman

I have to agree with Paul. Nikita's star will continue to shine, especially with her carefree and fun personality, her attitude of gratitude, and determination. 

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1 and A4, Indulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 209, 8 January 2014