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Re-posting an old photo that I used on my other blog.
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Now that summer is here (in the northern hemisphere, anyway), what is the most “Summery” book you can think of? The one that captures the essence of summer for you?

(I’m not asking for you to list your ideal “beach reading,” you understand, but the book that you can read at any time of year but that evokes “summer.”)

At first I couldn’t think of any books that remind me of summer. But as I thought harder, I tried to remember how I used to feel during summertime, ten years ago. Those times were usually spent cooped up inside cold offices doing summer jobs or internship. Since it’s almost always boring, some employees bring their favorite novels to pass the time. That was when I learned about Jude Deveraux and Judith Mcnaught books. These two authors were introduced to me by my so-called mentor and I fell in love with their stories ever since. Now, everytime I re-read any of their titles, I can’t help but remember how I spent all my summers looking boring in the outside but inside my head, I was happily spending time with The Montgomeries and The Westmorelands.

The theme/prompt for THIS week, June 23, is:

TAILS – “Summertime memory”
Since this is TAILS your summertime memory needs to be a real memory of yours. It can be a childhood memory, a memory from teens years or later. It can even be from last week.

My Summertime Memory

When I was young, about 5 or six years old and my family wasn’t as dysfunctional, we used to go to the beach with three other families and relatives. We’ll ride this huge jeep where all the kids sit on a long bench that was in the middle of the vehicle. High end beach resorts don’t exist then, at least in our family. The jeep with the long bench was an example but I remember having the time of our lives. We have baskets of food — green mangoes with shrimp paste, ripe mangoes, bananas, pots of rice, pork belly for grilling, hotdogs, pork adobo and many more. When we reach the beach, which is almost always so crowded, the adults will start to prepare the meal while the kids can do whatever they want. Thinking about it now, I envy how things were so simple back then.

Now we have these big air-conditioned SUVs, expensive accommodations, equally expensive buffet, white sandy beaches and yet we adults still manage to find something missing. Sometimes growing up really isn’t much fun at all.

How’s your weekend? I’m just taking a quick break and posting my entry for the Camera Critters here.

My friends and I saw an online advertisement on cruise holidays last week and up to now, we can’t stop talking about it. I believe it was the tagline “Experience the world for less” that let us hope that maybe we’ll get a chance to join one of those tours to Italy. I checked their website (travelsphere.co.uk) to window shop for travel packages and here’s what I found:

We are after escorted tours by the way because we want to make the most out of the trip. Plus you appreciate places, paintings and what-not if you know the history behind them.

Best of Italy – 15 days from £1044

A tour highlighting Itali’s scenes and sights from the beauty of Lake Maggiore and popular Tuscany to the eternal city of Rome and fabled Bay of Naples with Sorrento.

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Can’t get any creamier than this.  Open Ravioli Marinara – Folded lasagna sheets filled with shrimps, squid, clams, scallops in cream sauce and little napolitaine sauce, topped with emmenthal cheese and gratinated.

My Twitter Design buddies are at it again. Everyday, I check out these amazing tweets on web design and graphics design that I rarely notice that two hours already had passed since I turned on my laptop.

Because I’m going to be very busy today, here’s my list of articles that I’ve book marked so I can read and digest them on Monday.

Professional Portrait Photography

35 Excellent Websites for Downloading Free CSS Template

40 Top-Notch Print Based Tutorials

10 Ways To Make Your Site Accessible Using Web Standards

Rest assured that you’ll read more about them on this blog next week. Have a great day!

Still in school and want to succeed someday in the design industry? Then this article “If Only I Knew Then What I Know Now: 13 Design Lessons” from the creativeopera.com website is a must read for you. Check out the excerpt below.  

Use Feedback to Your Advantage — Especially Criticism

You’re not going to get through any (decent) design class without a healthy dose of criticism from your instructor and fellow students. At a young age (highschool and college age especially) it is difficult to take criticism. You naturally think that you are right and they are wrong. It’s even harder in design because art is so subjective. Everyone has a different opinion. Math is easy. There is one right answer. With design, there might be many successful solutions to any problem, so the possibility for disagreement is high. As a student, though, you should understand that your instructor is standing in front of you for a reason. They have the experience and training to help you grow and improve as a designer. If they are giving you constructive criticism or suggesting that you make a change to your design, try to respect their advice. I can assure you that it is MUCH easier as an instructor to pat everyone on the back and tell them that their work is great. If a teacher is taking the time to give you tips on improving your design, it is only because they want to help you.

Usually, we find out too late that we should have handled something differently. We often find ourselves saying “if only I could turn back time” and wonder if we’d be in a much better position today.

From Booking Through Thursday:

One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day.

As she puts it:

So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life.

So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not?

To celebrate Fantasy and Science FictioN Writer’s day, I am going to re-read the book ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger. This is just on my list of top 20 favorite books of all time and now that a movie was created based on the beautiful but complicated love story, I am so eager to re-visit the scenes again.

To answer the 2nd question, most of the titles that I read have to do with science fiction or fantasy. (Not including romance of course because I have enough collection to fill four bookshelves.) I just find it amazing how you can escape from books that talk about time travels, body snatchers, mind invasions, super powers like telekinesis, mind reading, parallel worlds and many more. I also love all the Harry Potter books especially Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, Inkheart and the Griffin and Sabine trilogy.

In honor of our fallen soldiers.

Ten on Tuesday

1. iPod and solar charger (is there such a thing for iPods?)

2. Tons of magazines – travel, fashion, celebrity, interior design

3. Books what else – boxes and boxes that should last for five years

4. A bike

5. A small boat – you can never be too sure when you want to leave

6. Different kinds of cheeses, chocolates and potato chips

7. Bottles of wine

8. Playing cards, poker set, monopoly, scrabble

9. Three pillows, comforters and native mat.

10. Handy tools so I can make a shelter. But knowing me, I’d probably have something built in the island before I let myself get stranded there

After reading the list of other bloggers, I am definitely adding a portable solar generator, my laptop, DSLR, and Bear from Man Vs. Wild. Now I’ll never get hungry or wet!

Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. – Frank Zappa

If something’s hard to do, then it’s not worth doing – Homer Simpson

Stick to your knitting (what you’re good at), don’t compromise, and don’t suffer fools. — Simon Campbell

Design is where science and art break even. — Robin Mathew

Every designers’ dirty little secret is that they copy other designers’ work. They see work they like, and they imitate it. Rather cheekily, they call this inspiration. — Aaron Russell

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