Another place which we visited during our trip to Ilocos was the Patapat Viaduct. The Patapat Viaduct is a loooooong bridge. On one side is the mountains of Ilocos, while on the other side is a raging sea. The long bridge connects the province of Ilocos to the Cagayan Valley. We stopped by the end of the bridge to get some pictures. Some of us walked along the looooong bridge, while the others posed at the middle of the road (there were only a few trucks and vans that were passing that time). My mom and I opted to stay and pose near the bridge, having the long bridge as our background. My brother was more "emo" that time. He doesn't want any picture. So I had to steal a shot from him while he was "thinking about things" while he stood facing the sea.
In fairness to my "emo" brother, it was nice to just stand by the side of the bridge and look over the sea. There's a calming effect when one does it. Personally, it allowed me to breathe in fresh air, relax, and take my mind from the stressful city life.
Journalling: Note to Self: Take time to enjoy the Long Road called LIFE. Patapat Viaduct, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, April 2010.
Credits for this Layout: Without End Collab Kit from Scrapmalin.com; Font: Baby Bostong font available at Kevin and Amanda.com.
One of the wonderful places that we visited from our trip to Ilocos last April was the Bangui Windmills in Ilocos Norte. Yes! We have those here in the Philippines! :-) According to one of the locals, the Bangui Windmills are the main suppliers of electricity in the province of Ilocos. If I remembered it correctly, there were around 20 towering windmills in the area, all facing the sea (the locals say it is already the South China Sea). The sight of these windmills was really majestic and breathtaking. Being under one of these gigantic windmills and feeling the sea breeze through your hair and face, one would have an exhilirating feeling of freedom. For all those visiting the northern region of Ilocos, the Bangui Windmills is a must-see landmark.
Journalling: As Free As the Wind.. Bangui Windmills, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, April 2010.
Credits for this layout: Escape Kit by Jayedid Designs; Only by Request font and Fontmoochers font both available at Kevin and Amanda.com;
One of the "highlights" of my somehow-long vacation a few days ago was our trip to Ilocos province, a province located at the northern part of Manila. My mom, my brother, and I went there as part of a travel group which was handled by Travel Factor. We departed Manila on the evening of April 29, and arrived at Ilocos at 6AM of April 30. Our first stop was the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity St. Augustine Parish Church and the Bantay Bell Tower. It was an old church (which dates back to 1590 when the Spanish colonized the country. Coming near or going inside the church and the bell tower, one can see that both are made of solid bricks - a trademark of old Spanish architecture.
It is unfortunate that we don't have a picture inside the bell tower because my Mom had a hard time walking and climbing the long flight of stairs. Nevertheless, we had fun taking serious and wacky pictures (like the one in the layout), having the bell tower as our background.
Watch out for more pictures from our Ilocos trip in my succeeding layouts! It's my way of sharing with my readers/viewers the places they can visit here in the Philippines.
Journalling: MEMORY is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. || Mama * Cherick * Philip - Bantay Bell Tower - Ilocos Sur, Philippines - April 30, 2010.
Credits for this Layout: Starstruck Kit by List West Designs and Digi Diva; MemoriesWAFreebie by Agnieszkag;
How fast time flies. My one-and-a-half weeks vacation has come to an end. Back to work. Back to reality. Nevertheless, I can say that I had a great time during that short respite from work. I was able to process and obtain my Solo Parent ID (yehey for additional 7-days paid leave from work!!), was able to have a foot spa, was able to watch Ironman2, was able to travel up north to Ilocos (one of the northern provinces here in the Philippines), and most importantly, I was able to have some quality time with my family and my son, Zion.
Now back to my digital scrapping world. :-) The month of May is usually devoted to one of the most important women in our lives - our mother. Today, March 9, is Mother's Day. For this reason, I chose my Mom as my model for my May 2010 calendar layout. My mom went with me during my trip to Ilocos last April 30. Despite having a hard time walking, she managed to take care of her 2 children (my brother and I) during that loooong travel to Ilocos. One of the first places we've visited was the Bantay Bell Tower in Ilocos Sur. It was really a landmark that should never be missed when one visits the said province. More Ilocos pictures to come in my next layouts!! :-)
Credits for this layout: Family Ties Collab Kit by Jak-ART-a Scrappers; Love WordArt by Thaty Borges Designs; Calendar Template by Peppermint Creative;
Another place which we visited during our trip to Ilocos was the Patapat Viaduct. The Patapat Viaduct is a loooooong bridge. On one side is the mountains of Ilocos, while on the other side is a raging sea. The long bridge connects the province of Ilocos to the Cagayan Valley. We stopped by the end of the bridge to get some pictures. Some of us walked along the looooong bridge, while the others posed at the middle of the road (there were only a few trucks and vans that were passing that time). My mom and I opted to stay and pose near the bridge, having the long bridge as our background. My brother was more "emo" that time. He doesn't want any picture. So I had to steal a shot from him while he was "thinking about things" while he stood facing the sea.
