Today is my Birthday!

Although this year I'm not spending it with little J. I still choose to be happy and smile. Heck! got a message yesterday from daddy that is sweet enough to make me smile for a long time.

We never got to celebrate your birthday, but I promise you this as soon as I get there we will go on dates as if everyday is your birthday!

Last year's Birthday Wish list- success!

So in few days I'm turning another year old. So I went back and check my last year's wish list to see which actually came true.
1.I phone- nah!! no i phone, but I don't like it anymore have other priorities to consider.
2.External hard drive- check!! got it!
3.Graphite tablet- just like the I phone, I don't want this anymore, looks like I will not use it either.
4. Lose 20lbs- check! I'm not sure exactly how much I've lost but I slimmed down just enough to get my confidence back and my waistline is at least 4inches smaller. Oh! and I can wear mini skirts again!!!
5. New Environment- check! I'm in a different country now, so everything is new.
6. happy family- check! check! check! I thought this is impossible, well, I'm wrong. This is now a reality, so happy for this miracle.
7. Spend time with friends--- fail!
8. More time with little j!---fail...
9. Love!-check! check! check!
10.Peace of mind- I'd say 90% accomplished, still have a lot to worry about, but compared to last year I'm a lot better now.

6 out of 10, actually should be 8 out of 10 since I changed my mind on 1 and 3 since I don't want it anyway. On item 8 its a sacrifice that I have to do as a mom. We may be apart but this is all for her. I have to sacrifice working abroad with hopes of a better future for our family.

Choosing your Paint

Color may make or break you room. Most make a mistake of trying to choose their paint color as what they have seen on TV or on the magazine. Yes, this media are a good source of inspiration, but it is extremely tricky to choose exactly the same color as your inspirational room. Most often than not they end up having a room with a color too dull or too bright for what they expected. What most people do not consider is that this rooms as featured in TV's and magazines are designed by professionals such as Architect's and Interior designers, not too mention lighting was enhance further by a very able photographer. First things first, do not expect your room to look as great as those in magazines, especially if you do not have the extremely high budget that they used to come up with that. But, do not lose hope, we can still come up with a beautiful room even if we do not have that much money, all we need is a srpinkle of imagination and a bowl full of resourcefulness.

Lets go back to colors. First, is that you have to come up with a concept, you should know what you like and stick with it. Sure you can come up with electic design, where a lot of inspirations are rolled into one, but this is very hard to pull off. An experienced designer may have difficulty in pulling this off, much more a neophyte. So let's stick to one concept, a good basis for a design concept is your personality. If you are the laid back type, who doesn't like much clutter, it would be best to lean your design towards modern minimalist, or zen asian designs. If you are the artistic, energetic type, then a colorful more vibrant design will suit you. Lastly, if you are not sure yet, I suggest you go to the safe side, not too dull, but not too funky.

My rule of thumb is to use the half tone, this can go either way, its color but not color over all. Just a splash of it. Just a touch. Do not go over bored with the color that you might end up with a bedroom that looks like McDonalds.

If you are relying on a paint swatch, pick the 2nd tone from the darkest. So instead of choosing a vibrant red use the melon pink, just a notch from the darkest. You may still use the vibrant red, but be sure that it is just one wall or else it will be too overwhelming. Another thing is you can choose a favorite dress or bag, and use that as your basis, if you like the coordinates so much ang you have lived with it for a long time chances are it is good coordination of colors that will also look good on your wall.

Lastly have fun, if you chose the wrong color, what the heck you can paint it over.

Modern Nuetral Bedroom Designs

I am working on a new Project right now, Interior Design for a young executive. So far, what he gave me as basis is just the plan and he wanted it bright and clean. More on modern minimalist design. As color theme all he told me is that he want to keep it on the neutral tone. So far here are some of the 3D that I have made. I will have to submit a color swatch and sample pictures of the materials to be used since my software doesn't get the exact color that I wanted. Most of the 3D looks yellowish which I didn't intend to. I need a little more tweaking on this.

J & J Adventure - Father and Daughter Finally Together

Posting the pic first, I'll write the story later... be back in a few... just a bit busy...

Update: 27 July 2011

Ok, so here is the story. I went back to the Philippines for just a few days, precisely to spend time with little J and daddy. So as you can see, it was a "mission accomplished" trip.

I am so happy with everything that happened in Pinas, I would say it is something I dreamed of but didn't expect that would actually happen. Just like this picture, as you can see little J and daddy are now getting along. Finally, its just sad that I have to leave again. I know if they spend more time together they will be more closer. I just love watching them together. This is a dream that I thought will never happen. You see, its slowly becoming a reality and I am just so thankful that God gave as another chance to finally make our family complete.

Before all these, my mom and I had some misunderstanding, so I was crying the whole day. I felt devastated that even on my last day with them, she didn't spare that day to a peaceful family day. My plan is to spend that last day with Mama and little J, but since Mama is still mad at me of course that is not possible. I actually approached her that morning but she still wont talk to me, that's a long story that I'd rather skip.So change of plans.

After I spent the whole day crying, I realized that I was just wasting precious time. Time that I'd rather spend with little J. I don't want to leave with a heavy heart, I want to remember my days in Pinas as "happy times". So little J and I decided to go to SM and just spend the last few hours together happily. We hurriedly bathed and change and off we go to SM San Lazaro. Right before we left the house I received a text message from daddy, begging me to ask mama if she will allow him to send me to airport. I know its not possible (long story) so I told him to just go to SM and we just have dinner together.

So little J and I went to SM, we spent the last day same as how we spent it the first time I left. We first went to arcade and she is just so happy to get all those tickets. I just love seeing her that happy. Those smiles I will surely miss. Then after the games, daddy sent a message saying he is already in our meeting place. So little J and I went down stairs to see daddy. Before this, I talked to little J. I told her, that I wish she will not cry if she see's daddy, that if she is not comfortable with him just don't mind him and remember that its Mommy's last day and I don't want to see her cry. So, as I saw him waiting I literally run towards him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, hoping little J will do the same but didn't. Then we went to eat at Tokyo Tokyo, little J's request, she just loves to eat the tempura breading haha... just the breading. I have to peal off the Tempura, the good part is I get to eat the shrimp. During dinner, little J is still uneasy. She wont talk to daddy, just like before. Well, at least this time she is not crying. So we ate, daddy kept on talking to little J, then after a while she finally answered and soon they we're talking. First time, they actually talked to each other, little J finally respond. Then they started teasing each other, finally they are interacting with each other. Precious Moments, something that I will always keep in my heart. Then we went to Tutti Fruity and got some yogurt, here they continued to play and tease each other. They are so alike, the way they laugh, the way they talk, the way they deliver their punch lines. I am just so happy to see my family finally spend time together happily. Hopefully for days like this in the future.

Design for International School Brunei - Canteen

A very simple design for International School Brunei- Canteen. The existing facade is very simple, no design at all, just a tarp for the Signage is added. This is a low budget project so the owner just wants to spice it up a little and add something to brighten up the place. So I added a drop ceiling in wood veneer with recessed halogen lights. He originally wants some hanging lights but I think it will just add more obstructions to the existing wild wires above. So I opted to cover it up with the drop ceiling and add more lights. To add more color, I added some menu board at the top and above the window.

Day 1- Pinas Vacation

Mission Accomplished

I'm back!! Ok, I went home for a 1 week vacation and it was great. I would say "Mission Accomplished". Those few days are precious, I wish I can stay longer to mend some things up. A lot happened, something that I didn't expect but I am very glad with everything. The only thing that I want changed is my relationship with my mom. Lets just say we have some misunderstanding. I'll dedicated a whole post for this next time.

So I came back July 14, arrived a few minutes past midnight so basically that already July 15. I am so excited to see little J. In fact I am excited even just for the little things. When I saw the Makati Skyline, wow I felt home. Cant believe that I am back in Pinas again. All I was thinking was what will be little J's reaction when she see me.

I didn't see my mom right away, in fact she walked pass at me. She said she didn't recognize me. This is the only time I had a good interaction with my mom. When she fetch me from the airport, we hugged tight. I miss her, I miss my best friend. So we went home and I saw little J sleeping. I quickly woke her up, the jewelry box in my hand. She was startled to see me, but not really surprised, which is more surprising. Its as if its just normal to see me. So I hugged and kissed her tight, I didn't want to let go. After a few minutes of talking that's the time she finally realized I am really home.. maybe she thought she was just dreaming. So she started telling stories and checked the jewelry box that I brought her. So this is the start of my Pinas Adventure. I'll post the rest soon with the pictures, once I found my memory card adapter.

Shopping!!!

I am so excited to go shopping!!! Finally! I got my wish I will go shopping in Divisoria!!!I am going home! I am so excited to see little J again!!! I can't put too much exclamation marks... but if I can I'll fill this whole post with exclamation marks that's how excited  I am.

Meragang Interior Design Board

Online business

Since I recently figured out that this site actually attracts more readers about home improvement articles. Writing blog about architecture, interior design and decorating can actually help me with my design online business. I have to do a feasibility study on this one first, I have so much more to learn. Which articles are being read which are not generating traffic, so I have been reading a few article about design, decorating and try to check how they composed the articles that will not sound to technical nor to artsy. So this is one of the articles about decorating. It talks about choosing the right color for the bedroom. Brunei has a very laid back culture, so choosing the right color for a bedroom is very important as you can see in my previous post about my recent project. The color scheme is very simple, as well as the interior design itself, but I received a lot of complements from this project. The client and the rest are saying that its the best they have seen so far, even saying that it is the new "standard" for housing in Brunei, the rest of the new housing development should be at par with my design.

I will be scanning some more articles from this site, and I'll be back with to tell you about it.

Successful Interior Design Project

This is my very first project in Brunei, I am very thankful that it was very successful. The client and the rest of the Housing Development Department loved what I've done. I'll share the pictures first and tell you more about it later.

Updating my Blog

So far this is how my header reads

This is all about the sweet.. pretty.. and most of the time naughty 2 yr old girl Jea. Lots of anecdotes about her everyday adventure. All her first.. some are funny.. some are terrifying...but most are cute stuff and treasured memories...

needless to say this is already obsolete. First, my daughter is now 6 years old. Wow! I have to take a deep breath after realizing that, that means this blog has been in existence for at least 4 years already. This definitely not an
SEO blog, heck I only started this blog to get through my depression. Safe to say, I am not depressed anymore, in fact I am so happy with how life is treating me for the past months. There are a lot of reasons to be happy now, and I am so thankful for all the blessings. So now I'm back I have new wonderful stories to tell, I don't know much about blogging anymore so I need some
SEO tips from CqWen.

Sneak Peak of the Upcoming Posts

Design Board for the first Project

Cousins Visit

Traveling in Brunei

Brunei Culture

Speedboat ride!!

As you can see I have a lot of stories to tell, so keep going back to read my adventures in Brunei!

Web Directories

I don't know how to attract more traffic to my sites, I am sure that there are a lot of new ways to make your blog known to the world wide web.  I think I have to relearn a lot of things about blogging, page rank, traffic and SEO marketing.  What I noticed is that a lot are using social networking to advertise their blogs and websites that is why facebook and a lot of other social networking sites are being congested with this "post". Well, one way of attracting more traffic and hopefully more readers are by registering in a business web directory


This is a website composed of business listing that aims to give more exposure to your business. Lets face it in the world, there is a lot of advertising, not to mention a lot of money that you will have to shell out to make your business known. That is why more and more businesses are taking advantage of the cheapest advertisement with the best exposure to the world which it through websites and internet marketing. This is very cheap yet very powerful way to make your presence known to the world wide web and therefore to the world.

Blogger Newbie

I've been out of the blogging world for so long, that it feels like I am a newbie. Heck, I dont even know how to go around the new blogger format. I like it, I have to relearn navigating through it though, but I like it. It is user friendly and gives more information about my blogs traffic, visitors, referrers etc.

This way we know more about our own blogs. Its interesting that the post that is most visited on this site http:www.sweetpretynaughty.blogspot.com is the glam nails- design board, and rest house design which means this site actually gets more visit for the design related post and not the parenting, blogging or mommy stuff which this blog is intended for. I also have another blog that talks more about design, but for some reason it doesn't get much attention. So now, I know that I have to write more design stuff here also and hopes to get more attention and ultimately more traffic, therefore higher page rank. 


by the way, can somebody help  me take out the "read more" on my posts? its easy to do it before, but with the new blogger settings.. I'm lost.. please help.....

PR2- Time to go back to blogging

Ok, I know I said that several times already, but I have reasons now why I will blog again. First I got a PR2, cool!  I don't know why Google is nice to give be a good page rank when I am not active to blogging anymore, but for whatever reason I'd like to thank Google for raising my page rank.   Second reason is that many things happened, for one, I am not in the Philippines anymore. I've been in Brunei for 3 months already so I have so many stories to tell. I'll try to update more soon.