twentysumthing

Photo by Thea Sandoval Who doesn't love beautiful and peaceful fall mornings? All mornings spent at home are beautiful to me, but the magnificence of the autumn season just magnifies its simple beauty. Last night, we had a fun, gleeful Thanksgiving celebration with my parents' Couples for Christ family. This morning I woke up to an opposite ambience -- it was quiet and calm, with sunrays coming through the windows and all. I sat beside our living room window and I said a little "thank you" inside that all is well with my soul again. I started thanking God for all His small blessings that we fail to notice when our lives become a little less than perfect. Art from seedsoffaith.com It's been months since I was able to really stop and appreciate the beauty of life and all the gifts that were given to me. I thought this morning was the perfect time for me to reflect and say a " salamat " (thank you) for everything. First and foremost, I am thank

Most photos are from our Montreal trip this weekend! :) To my dearest baby love, I'll try to make this short and sweet because I still feel a bit wobbly from our long drive and all I wanna do right now is sleep and rest, as it's almost 12 midnight (so excuse the grammEr as well, people). I wanted to write this in your birthday card, but I won't have enough space (this is how I write "short and sweet"). You only turn 25 once, so I'll make this heartfelt and cheesy and honest. ;) This is my birthday gift to you; you get a special post in my blog!!! This is a once in a lifetime experience kaya. We've both grown as two women with different personalities, but having grown up together and shared many years with each other, we do share a lot of things in common as well... like how much we love cookies and anything sweet; how we like to rummage each other's closets and borrow clothes from each other (so that we can make everyone think we have an

They say that mothers know best. Who would dare disagree with that? When I think of it, there's no other person, so far, in the world who can look at me and will know exactly what I am thinking or how I am feeling but my mom.  Throughout the years, my mom had witnessed me experience different emotions: joy, excitement, pain, anxiety, and much more. She had seen me succeed - and even fail - in all aspects of my life. Without my mom's love, support, and wise words, I do not know if I would have come this far. Through the years, there are golden lessons that she had taught me and had stuck with me. I remind myself of these wise words from her when the going gets tough to help me make good decisions in life: Enjoy your youth because you will only be young once. It is the time for yourself and not for boys. And being in school is fun. I think my mother had originally said this when I was in high school so that I would avoid boys. Haha! And I tell you, it was very effect

Today is the first day of Spring, but it could be a long way to go to warmer weather (I hope not). Around the end of February to March of every year, there are two things I always start doing in anticipation. I have developed these habits probably to show my excitement towards saying  adios to winter and summon sunshine and warmth back into my life. ;)  One, I look at the dresses that hang in my closet. I even wear a few of them (only in my room, though) and twirl around in front of the mirror to show how much I missed them. If you have read Marie Kondo's best-selling book The Magic of Tidying Up , she had written about how we should care for and appreciate the things that spark joy in us. All my dresses spark joy in me. So to all my dresses -- thank you and I love you. Hihi. In addition, it has also become a habit to start shopping / window shopping for new dresses and imagine the days when I don't have to wear pants to work again. "Patience, Thessa. Just a few more w