Sink or Swim

If there’s one thing I’m excited about, it’s the Black Friday and Cyber Monday on Buy.com. I am looking to buy a 22″ LCD monitor for the longest time but never seem to have the budget to go ahead with the purchase. Thanks to Buy.com’s specials though, I now have several options to choose from that is just below $300.

I really hope I can find a way to ship this to my place so I can start creating the work station of my dreams.

Samsung 23″ Widescreen LCD
$220 after rebates

ViewSonic VX2433wm 24″ (23.6″ Viewable) Widescreen 1080p LCD Monitor with HDMI

$227.01

Acer H233Hbmid Widescreen LCD Monitor – ET.VH3HP.001

$196.28

I still can’t believe you can buy these for less than $200 when it was barely three years ago when I bought my 19″ LCD for almost the same price.

This altar was recovered from a 500-year-old church and now displayed at the National Museum (Philippines). The priest wanted to modernize the look of the church so they decided to take down some of the magnificent woodwork that used to decorate the place for hundreds of years.

We always see this and hear this from well-meaning friends but what does it really mean? On this article, you can find 100 ways to live a better life. But since the way we live life to its fullest vary from other people, I’m going to list the things that apply to me.

Accept your mistakes.

Start a new diet

Keep a journal

Learn to take risks.

Change your work space.

Learn a new language.

Stop self sabotage.

Find reasons to love your life.

Recycle your aggression

Dissolve negative opinions about yourself.

Write a personal mission statement.

Exercise

Call an old friend

Stop solving the wrong problems.

Do a random act of kindness

Go with passion.

Laugh.

Get rid of labels

No regrets

Taken by my husband last year during our annual beach trip in Boracay, Philippines.

… if you have a back up. I am not working with any company now but I am freelancing full time. I get projects from all kinds of people and through various advertising methods. Even better because I am less stressed, have more time to do the things that I like and have no schedule to follow. When I used to work with a company, my designs tend to look the same because of the similarities of the clients that we service. But now, I could be designing for a car website one day, then a brochure for a barcode scanner the next. I am much more updated now with  my skills because you just can’t be lazy, not with millions of designers available bidding for the same job.

So yes, it’s not the end of the world as long as you’re willing to accept the change. I wasn’t at first and always thought I’d never get enough projects to match my old salary. But my husband told me it’s just a matter of looking at things at a different angle. I immediately changed how I see myself and started looking at freelancing as my full time business. Because of this, I now feel like I have no one to please except myself and my clients. I am my own boss, I am free. With this positive attitude, it’s no wonder projects are pouring in.

Just some of my favorites from this post.

Take note that these are real graffiti artworks, not just digitally manipulated photos. They remind me so much of murals and art contests that I’ve joined fifteen years ago. Creating something as beautiful and big as this gives you a high that you will not get from prohibited substance.

I’ve been waiting for a topic like this ever since I finished reading “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher.

From Booklist:

When Clay Jenson plays the casette tapes he received in a mysterious package, he’s surprised to hear the voice of dead classmate Hannah Baker. He’s one of 13 people who receive Hannah’s story, which details the circumstances that led to her suicide. Clay spends the rest of the day and long into the night listening to Hannah’s voice and going to the locations she wants him to visit. The text alternates, sometimes quickly, between Hannah’s voice (italicized) and Clay’s thoughts as he listens to her words, which illuminate betrayals and secrets that demonstrate the consequences of even small actions. Hannah, herself, is not free from guilt, her own inaction having played a part in an accidental auto death and a rape. The message about how we treat one another, although sometimes heavy, makes for compelling reading.

I’ve always loved psychological thrillers but this one let me down. I did get excited about finding a box of cassette tapes from someone who just recently died but that’s about it. The reasons are not just good enough for me.

UGG boots.

Emo hairstyles.

Scarves are great but not when you live in a tropical country! Come on people. Would you rather sweat under the sun on your way to work?

Is Kate and Jon a fad? Because I’m so tired of seeing and reading about them everywhere.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt

Small dogs inside purses.

Trucker Caps barely fixed on the head.

Cayman Crocs on adults

Hot pants!

Above the knee boots. Scary.

Extra cash for stay at home moms, full time jobs for professionals who prefer to telecommute and constant flow of projects for freelancers.

Discounts and free deals everywhere you go. You can save a lot of money simply by using a free shipping coupon or buy one take two deals.

Earn your masteral degree from the comforts of your own home. You can choose from the best accredited online degrees here if you’re interested to find out more.

Learn for free. There are millions of how-to articles on almost any topic that you can think of. From web designing to gardening to making a movie to scrapbooking.

Hire people worldwide, meet new friends and get re-acquainted with long lost friends.

Pay your bills, apply for various kinds of loans and send money to your loved ones.

My take on today’s theme.

Low Tide.

This photo was taken in Bohol, Philippines two years ago. Although I didn’t get to enjoy the beach very much – too much low tides, the peacefulness of the place is enough for me to go back again.

I’m a fan of all things vintage – photographs, accessories, clothes, furniture, old postcards, etc. So when I saw these awesome collection of vintage collages, I can’t help but share it here on my blog too. I was actually planning on using the same look and feel for my new portfolio site but changed my mind at the last minute. Nevertheless, they are still wonderful and somehow reminds me of my childhood when I used to cut newspaper clippings and magazine photos. It’s also the reason why I love the Griffin and Sabine trilogy.

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I’m glad to see that pottery is getting popular again. Some schools and plenty of organizations are now adding pottery to their art programs. Personally, I’d like to give pottery a try ever since I stumbled upon Amaco, a site that sells arts and crafts supplies. Their products range from pottery supplies such as pottery tiles, sculpture supplies, brushes, modeling clays, warm glass supplies and lead free glazes/underglazes.

What’s great about their site is that they have complete supply kits to make it easier for you, the budding pottery artist to shop. For basic to advanced pottery programs, you can ceramic pottery kilns. The most basic kit includes a furniture kit, KilnVent-Stand version, kiln gloves, stilt kit, brush set (18 items), set of 5 hardwood modeling tool and 8 wire clay cutter.

Amaco believes that children deserve safe classrooms and successful art projects whether the school has a limited budget. With this aim in mind, their products are not only affordable but of top quality and formulated for safety.

The most recent serious book I’ve read is Nineteen Minutes by Jody Picoult.

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five….In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

This affected me so much because as a parent, you couldn’t help but wonder about your child when they start going to school.