hand-me-downs

Our BabyManghud is growing up fast! So we're giving his wrap-arounds, socks, jamies, mittens, bottles, plus kuya's bottles away. Just send me a message / comment if you want them. Thanks!

pool day!

We were invited to Maslog for a warm - and cool - relaxing sunday. Of course, my little lifeguard stayed on his station the whole time and enjoyed splashing and maintaining the chaos of the group while Baby Manghud is enjoying his dreamland...

my favourite new face!

I just love him! He found a new expression which looked like he's trying to say "sure ka's imong gi pang sulti?!" Hahaha so cute!

what right have you got?

I just had a conversation with Niel. He accused me of being a sloth because I did not turn my illustrations into vectors because he thinks he is so stinking good that I should have thought about comparing my style in raw and vectorized.

Weeks ago he invited me to do a collaboration with him for a shirt design. Initially I was excited and thought it was a great idea. He asked for my raw illustrations and said he wanted to turn them into vectors. I wasn't sure if that would work. Turning my insects into vectors would loose its essence. But I still gave my sketch away anyway. I did it because I trusted him and I knew he's got a good reason behind it.

Soon enough though I was bothered again by the idea of turning my illustrations into vectors. I don't see the need for it anymore and I don't want to lose it's raw-ness. I wanted to tell him frankly that I didn't want to loose my illustration's original feel and turning them into vectors would create an impression that they are no longer mine. I was being honest.

him: usahay tanawon sad nimo kng asa nindot sa imong style... ang kalahian sa imong style ang naka vector or raw... wala to nimo gi vector kay gitapulan ka.

me: excuse me noh. wa to nako gi vector kay di ko gusto ivector to. gusto nako ma maintain iyang kirig2x sa strokes sa ballpen. di kay tungod gitapul ko

him: ikaw gud... imo man na

me: o sakto ka. ako ra jud kay ako mani.

him: mao mao

me: kbaw ko unsay itsura ato kung ako tong ivector maong wa ko ni choose i vector... if u think mas better to sya nga i vector, well imo nang opinion

him: please lang yaw pag yawyaw

me: k fine. bye

When I tried explaining and of course stand my right to deny his accusations, he bluntly asked me to not give him a sermon. I politely said goodbye to him. (So I'm blogging about it, at least.)

Excuse me Mister Vector Expert, before you accuse an artist of being a whatever, kindly stop and listen if you are making sense and if you are at some place in this universe have the right to do that. I am not being lazy just because I have not opt to do them in vector. I have maximized my brain cells to its last bit of use and KNOW that my illustrations work best in raw and not in vector. I want to keep the edginess and it's coarse line, ballpen drawn style. I want them to speak differently - not in an exact clean and crisp way, but in an untreated, fresh way. Not all drawings are meant to be vectors - yes, I think you know that. And I have told you that if you think my illustrations look better in vector, that is you're opinion and you are free to think that. But you have no right to call me whatever just because you have an opinion.

I hope you give equal respect to people who respect you.

upgrade to simplicity

I need to update my website. It seemed so old fashioned and it needs an upgrade. I'm not planning to make a flashy-flash site or a very complicated one. I just want an easy-to-update website so it's easier for me to fill in new projects. 

Now I need a pencil and a doodle pad please. Let's brainstorm!

smiled sweetly inspiration

I found his blog and fell inlove. I can't read Japanese but I can spot craftsmanship and artistry. My new inspiration, Mico Ogura. I love the sweetness and it's honesty. And the colours are fresh and vintage all in one.

Now I wish I could read a bit of Japanese.

ABC's and 123's

My 2.8yo has never been this interested in the alphabet and numbers. It's always been a mother's pride hearing for the first time, without a miss, her child reciting his abc's or 123's - or at least say his complete name. And I am so proud of how he has grown to love enumerating and identifying figures in plate numbers, store names, keyboard, and books. 

I found Starfall.com that teaches letter-sound relationships and has an easy and kid-friendly navigation. My boy is now experimenting and learning on the exercises it offers. He's having a lot of fun and at the same time he's collecting new words, understanding simple instructions. And what's more amazing, he has discovered how to click and drag a letter using the touch pad! Because he has trouble controlling the mighty mouse, he found a solution on his own.

What an A-for-Awesome discovery of good things! (Like mama discovering the alphabet series by Paul Thurlby.)