It was so heartwarming to witness a historical event unfold before my eyes. We just came back from the Manila Cathedral where we witnessed the funeral of former President of the Philippines Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Although we were not able to make it to the public viewing, being there was enough for us to feel how the Filipinos love the former President. There was outpouring of love and it was very evident around the area, strangers distributed food, water, newspapers.

It was just a wonderful feeling and my family didn't regret that we braved the heavy rains just to get a glimpse of the funeral cortege of Tita Cory --- as she was fondly called by the Filipinos. It was an event which although was supposed to be an occasion for mourning, paved the way for the Filipinos to once again show to the world that being united in times like these is still possible. I am sure everybody will be one in saying that he/she is truly proud to be a Filipino.

Despite the bad weather, we brought our kids with us, because we want them to be able to look back and say that they were part of this historical event. They didn't mind the long wait and the long stretch of the highway where we walked. They were simply excited to share their experience to their friends in school.

Farewell, Madame President and thank you for restoring the democracy in our country.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I'm now seriously venturing into the Handmade Invitation business, and I'm now in the process of sourcing for tools that could make this a lot more fun and easier to do. I've been searching the Internet for the recommended tools and I even found myself bidding for an item in Ebay but then, I got scared of the custom duty taxes that might be charged to me when the item arrives. So, I decided to search for locally-available products, then I suddenly remembered about the website which I saw in the Working Mom Magazine way back in 2007, The Yellow Violet House. I visited the website again and called up its owner, Isabel, who was very accommodating and friendly, and I set up an appointment with her for Saturday.

I brought Faye with me when I went to the shop, and we were both amazed! It was awesome! and it was a dream haven for craft enthusiasts, it's like you would want to buy everything that's in there! And what made the visit even more special was the way Isabel accommodated us. She explained and showed us everything and she even let Faye try out the Big Shot machine. And of course, the freebies that she gave us! Faye was so happy because she got lots of freebies and couldn't wait to create her own cards at home. For the Big Shot machine, Isabel gave me a free Provocraft Silent Setter. Imagine, just a week ago, I ordered it online but unfortunately (or fortunately, now that I got it for free!), it was out-of-stock!

Now, I couldn't wait to use my new Big Shot and try out all the things that I've learned from Isabel.