Edsa before:

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Edsa after the storm:

I don’t miss the billboard clutter at all ((Especially not the ones with ginormous photoshopped-to-perfection images of her, what a relief they’re all down hehe.)) but the highway just looks so forlorn undressed, no? 🙁

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On to brighter things:

Katamari Damacy ((I know you told me about this MONTHS ago, Nest — ngayon ko lang nilaro!)) has been around for more than 2 years now but believe it or not I only got into the craze last month *sheepish smile*. It’s so fun! And easy! And weird! Lovit, lovit. The soundtrack’s really good, too. Click here if you don’t know (and would like to know) what I’m talking about.

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And I might as well announce it since SonyBMG already did.

The Eraserheads Anthology Two will be out by October 16. Cover and interior artwork is again courtesy of my fabulous husband ((With layout duties again by yours truly.)) 🙂
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Related projects:
– Eraserheads Anthology (volume 1)
– The 2-in-1 Series (batch 1)
– The 2-in-1 Series (batch 2)
– UltraelectromagneticJam

Like our good pals Sheila and Mike, Arn and I have been going on a nostalgia trip, to the 70s this time. It all started when I gave him The Incredible Hulk ((Sigh, it’s a much-delayed reaction but I feel bad knowing that David Banner (Bill Bixby) and Jack Colvin (Mr. McGhee) are both gone. 🙁 )) tv series on his birthday.

And then my ate Pam ((With the exception of one, all my Feliciano-side cousins are 4+ years older and she was the one I tagged along behind most often. I don’t have a sister so she was my very first “ate” figure.)), a dear cousin all the way in Oz sent me an Amazon gift certificate worth, well, a lot so I decided to use it on items that remind me of her and the days when she and her family still lived next door: The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys tv series starring Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy, and Patrick Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as Frank and Joe ((…I know! As in “Da doo run run!” Can someone say “Hit-baaaaaackk-baacck-baaacck”?)). I’m a bigger fan of the books but watching these again made me miss the old days when plots were less complicated and when primetime tv was so much… “cleaner”. It’s true, they just don’t make shows like they used to. By the way, a Nancy Drew movie (starring Emma Roberts as our beloved strawberry blonde sleuth) is slated to come out next year. I can only hope that she stays true to her character in the original Carolyn Keene novels ((I’ve read and have most of the 56 original hardcovers, from “Secret of the Old Clock” to “The Thirteenth Pearl”.)).
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And my fellow 70s kids, because I think I love you ((Ah yes, another tv series I have to get my hands on. Someday.)) here’s a little video that I’m sure will put smiles on your faces 😀

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The other DVD set I ordered was The Best of The Electric Company which was really fun to watch then and surprisingly even more fun to watch now! Talk about being ahead of its time. And omigosh who can forget the cool Easy Reader, the bumbling Fargo North: Decoder, the bratty Pandora, and of course the singing group Short Circus. Or how about songs like “Punctuation“, “Silent E“, and the spelling silhouettes (which eventually inspired a TV ad for Nike Shox). Like I told Arn, watching the cast in the classic and oh-so-familiar sketches is just like seeing old friends family members again. It’s true, hearing Rita Moreno holler “Hey you guys!” actually brought a tear to my eye (( Also because I remembered my brother Toting who I used to watch the show with.)).

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I’m still in denial that my schedule is turning topsy turvy again. Here’s what’s on my plate right now:
• Two album packaging projects ((Yes, they’re both tribute albums, surprise surprise — that seems to be the trend nowadays.))
• An identity system ((Meaning logo and signage design, logo application on business cards and stationery, layouts for the menu, flyers, in-house signs, etc. Fun, yes, but it’s also a lot of work.)) for a soon-to-open restaurant in Greenbelt2.
• And of course, the 5th issue of Wedding Essentials which we’re all very excited about. We’ve started shooting already so take a peek now and then if you like. 😉
Ideally my schedule by now should be blocked off to accommodate WE but (1) the album projects were given by one of our favorite and most suki clients so “no, we’re booked” was not an option; and (2) I wanted to take on the restaurant project because, well, it was challenging and not to mention a good addition to my ever-growing-but-needs-updating portfolio.
So if I don’t get to post the following days, you know where to look.

Encouraged by a sudden increase in sales in my Cafepress shops ((Most of the buyers are US-based. I have a feeling it must be because school is about to start and everyone wants new shirts to wear. Alright!)), I decided to open a few more last week. Four are wedding-related since (1) I’m immersed in the industry hence it’s the easiest to make designs for; and (2) guess what, 80% of my sales are coming from the bridal shop ((Plus according to Cafepress’ newswire, the “weddings” tag is among the most sought after, well well well!)).

iDo shirts for the iPod-loving couple! (Hello, Carlo and Nina 😉 )

“Always a bridesmaid, finally a bride” tees for the been-waiting-for-mr.-right bride.

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And because I didn’t want to totally sell out, I made “Tsinelas (flip-flops) Addict” and “Bayong (basket bags) Addict” tees and knick-knacks as the second part of my Pinoy series.

You can see all the other new shops here ((You won’t believe it but Arn has shops of his own too, and his products sell even faster than any of mine! He wants to keep them secret for now but someday I’ll share the links with you. 😉)).

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My Arn recently received a really nice email from Jasper Lloyd Tan of Cagayan de Oro-based Christian pop-rock band Thoughts and Notions ((They play music in the tradition of Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer.)). Jasper says that (Arn’s book) After Eden inspired him so much that he wrote a song about it called “Earthbound Angel” ((I was really touched when I learned about it — I’m sure you can tell how proud I am of my husband’s work and I know how much he’s inspired his readers but inspiring someone to write a song with a wonderful message, now that’s a first.))

Excerpt:
I could choose to soar above the skies
And be one with the flight of angels
But I am here in this world for one purpose
To be with you and be your guide
And be your earthbound angel.

Band info and streaming audio here.