MY SCRAPBOOK PAGE: A GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Sometimes we doubt our talents, and we fear that our works would be criticized, but today I've learned to believe in myself and my creativity.

I wasn't supposed to continue joining the SCRAP-A-PAGE: Scrapbooking Contest by All About Scrapbooking, but last night my friends convinced me to join. Good thing! Because I've bagged the GRAND PRIZE.

I started planning my layout when I woke up this morning. After preparing all the materials, I headed to Robinson's Place Ermita to register for the contest. At first I was very timid to approach the organizers. As I was about to leave the venue, I've realized that I would regret this day if I won't join the contest. So I ended up signing for the Adult Division as Contestant # 6.

It started with a basic workshop at 1:30PM. After the presentation the contest proper begun. The contestants for the SCRAP-A-PAGE competition were given 1 hour to complete their scrapbook page.

I tried so hard to control my nervousness, 'cause I wouldn't be able to work on my page skillfully if my hands were shaking. Though it was time-pressured, I managed to complete my page on time.

After submitting our entry, we've waited for the announcement of winners. I wasn't expecting to win, because the matting of my focal point was too light, and I know that the focal point is very important in a scrapbook page.

When the host were announcing the winners for the adult division, I was praying to win even just the consulation prize. When the 3rd and 2nd place winner were announced, I know for myself that it's over. At the back of my mind, it's impossible for me to win the first prize, but I was wrong. When my name was called for the grand prize, I was totally shocked.

Here's the picture of the scrapbook page I've made. The original page was kept by All About Scrapbooking as their property.

MY WINNING ENTRY

JAC's 19th Birthday Party

July 7, 2002; MDR DORM

It was my LAST birthday as a teenager,

and though it was raining hard outside,

we still had a lot of FUN!

**This is one of the unforgettable times I've spent with the SUPERFRIENDS. They were the subject of my scrapbook page and they were the ones who convinced me to join. I guess they were my lucky charm. Thanks guys!

THE GRAND PRIZE

There were no cash prize involve, nevertheless it was all worth it. Here's the list of the prizes I've received:

* Php 2,000 worth of gift certificate from National Bookstore

* Php 1,000 worth of gift certificate from Heaven and Eggs, Market Market!

* Php 800 worth of gift certificate from Ink for Less, Ink Refilling Station

* Buffet Lunch for two at Cafe Al Fresco in Hyatt Regency Manila

* Casio LABEL IT!: EZ-Label Printer KL-60

* Loads of scrapbooking products and tools from All About Scrapbooking

* tools organizer

* stencils

* BIC Products

* Greeting cards from Hallmark

* Super Dad Shirt for Father's Day

* A bouquet of flowers

I love all the prizes especially the CASIO E-Z Label printer, 'cause I have a thing about gadgets. It was all worth the time, efforts and money, since the requirement for registration is just a Php 100.00 receipt of All About Scrapbooking Products.

Today is my first time to join a scrapbook contest, and it was trully an UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!

Visit my Scrapbook Blog at Pink Leaf Scrapbooking Guide

Happy Scrapbooking!!!

SEARCHING FOR THE TRUE MEANING OF HAPPINESS

'What can make you happy?' This is a question I myself can't answer. My goals and dreams are endless, and it seems that contentment is pretty much elusive. I've already laid out my goals towards my chosen career path, and I'm already halfway through it. But a stable job isn't enough. I want to have my own family -- a wonderful husband and beautiful kids. I also want to have my own business. There's a lot of things I want to accomplish in this lifetime, but I don't know if those would be enough to make me happy. They say happiness comes from within, and contentment will all depends on you.

I want to share with you a beautiful poem about happiness which I've got from Tita Holiday, Sweet's mom. This was incorporated in her speech during the Adventist Youth Seminar last May 6, which me and Precious have attended. We spent the whole day with their family and I had a lot of fun. Here's a copy of the poem:


HAPPINESS COMES IN PIECES

Happiness is like a crystal
Fair and exquisite and clear
Broken in a million pieces
Shattered, scattered far and near

Now and then along life's pathway
Lo! some shining fragments fall;
But there are so many pieces
No one ever finds them all

You may find a bit of beauty
Or an honest share of wealth,
While another just beside you
Gathers honor, love or health

Vain to choose or grasp unduly
Broken is the perfect ball
And there are so many pieces
No one ever finds them all

Yet the wise, as on their journey
Treasure every fragment clear
Fit them as they come together
Imagining the shattered sphere

Learning ever to be thankful
Though their share of it is small
For it has so many pieces
No one ever finds them all.

-anonymous


Learning to be grateful to God in every blessing that comes your way, is the first step towards contentment. You have to realize that even though you don't have all the things that you WANT, you're still lucky enough to have the things that you NEED. It is human nature to want more than what he has, but overcoming this feeling would make you more happy and contented. It is hard, and I'm also in the process of overcoming this unhealthy feeling.
Just always bear in mind that...

No one in this world can dictate to you where u can be happy... If you know where and what it is... go for it... just remember that happiness is not a destiny it's a CHOICE... -anonymous

PASAYAHAN SA LUCENA 2006

Summer is about to end, and May showers started to drench flower beds and rice fields all over the country, but before we end our Summer Fun, me and my brother decided to visit Lucena City to witness their fiesta called Pasayahan 2006.

It was some sort of a reunion with our cousins, and a weekend full of concerts and celebrities. I was one of the boys for the whole weekend, but I don’t mind.

GMA channel 7, the Kapuso station, graced the event which is sponsored by James Cooper. Bands and celebrities were in every corner of the city, including the malls -- SM Lucena and Pacific Mall. Our weekend nights were spent watching concerts and food tripping. However, it was also a tiring weekend as we walk from one location to another. The streets were closed due to street parties, and parking was a total headache.

For the first night we watched the concert of Aegis, but halfway through the concert there was a commotion. A group of civilian started to fight and the audience started to run away from the venue. So we decided to move to another location and go to the heart of the city, where the main street was converted to a tiangge. When all of us were tired of the endless walking, we decided to go home and watch the Da Vinci Code in DVD. It was quite a boring flick. After the movie we went to bed to get some sleep, because we needed a lot of energy for tomorrow’s grand parade.

For the second day, we got up early to watch the grand parade which includes the cast of Captain Barbell and SOP Gigsters. Here are some of the photos from the parade.

CLUB MWAH

MORIONES from Marinduque

GIANT MASCOT

SOP GIGSTERS CAST

CAPTAIN BARBELL CAST

After lunch we decided to go to the parking lot of SM Lucena to watch SOP Gigsters Live. But the scorching heat of the sun was unbearable, so we decided to go to the backstage. We saw Camille Pratts, Sunshine Dizon, Richard Gutierrez, Ryza Cenon, Nicole Anderson, Rainier Castillo, and Mark Herras in person. Richard was not snobbish and he was really handsome. We stayed at the parking lot in less that 20 minutes, and went to the food court for another session of food trip. After eating we watched X-Men: The last Stand. It was a great movie! Though I was never a die-hard fan of X-Men, I enjoyed the movie and I demand for another X-Men flick. The end of the movie marks the start of another endless walking through the streets of the city as we watched different concerts. Even the channel 2 stars were there. Sherri and Eric Santos have a concert along with Parokya ni Edgar and Rocksteady.

But on top of it all, what I enjoyed the most was the quality time I spent with my brother and cousins, which is ultimately PRICELESS!