Free 2014 Printable Calendar

Sharing this "hipster" printable calendar, if you're that kind of person who loves organizing or journaling, then this is for you.. These are resizable .png files so you can edit it in any size you want. Enjoy. :)

For the WHITE & COLORS, Download Here

For the CHALKBOARD, Download Here

Free 10 Christmas & New Year Greeting Cards

 

I just want to share a few of the digital Christmas Greeting Cards I got, you can download and print or just simply send the digital files right away to your Facebook friends. Just want to give something in our own little way. Hope you like it.  :)

 Just Click the Download Button:

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****More Free Christmas Printables soon...****

Supporting Our Local Small Time/Independent Business Vendors and Owners

Happy faces of our local vendors in Burgos Public Market during our DPIS Photowalk. Photo by Riza Ortiz

Our late grandfather (father's side) used to be a vendor in our town's public market. He sells different kinds of vegetables fresh from the farm to support his family's needs. And because of this little business, he was able to provide and let his children, including my father, graduate in college (my father graduated as a professional engineer).

Freshly hand picked fruits, vegetables and eggs at the Burgos Public Market, Bacolod. Photo by Riza Ortiz

During those times, we're thankful that our grandpa strived to sell, and also thankful to the people who supported him, no matter how little things or vegetables they bought to his little space, they had given him life to support his family as well as his generation like me and my siblings.

We may not came from a wealthy family with big businesses, but they taught us how to stand on our own by just doing what you love and loving what you do.

Not only market vendors, but this also applies to small time/ independent business owners and artists as well.

It's also important to teach our children the importance of supporting our local small time or independent business owners. While many of us go to the more expensive or more famous branded products because of higher quality, there's nothing wrong with that. Of course, anyone can support anyone, but I think it's better to give a support to small time business owners who are still on a working progress. They're the ones who are still building a dream to achieve their goals. I know big time business owners really looked more promising to anyone, but also take time to give credit to the small time owners as well, especially when they also have equal talents as the big time ones.

So as small time business owners like us, we also have the right to succeed. Not overnight but I know it takes time. More than that, not only you're paying for their efforts or hard work, but also you're paying for their bills, feeding their children, and everything. Just like this quote from Rebekah Joy Plett. 

Word!... i love this quote. Photo source: Google

FREE Facebook Timeline Covers

Because I have nothing to do, I decided to make timeline covers for Facebook just for fun. Some of the background images and the quotes, I just got them anywhere I see in the web. What I only edited are the background colors, fonts, brushes and overlays. Files are scaled with the actual Facebook Timeline size.


How To Download:

Just Click the Pink Download link BELOW the SAMPLE IMAGE, this will lead you to the New Tab. Then Click again the Download button at the top right of the page and Save! 
ENJOY! :)

Our First Winner To Our First Promo!

CONGRATULATIONS TO : KRISTINE PELAYO

So far, we had 3224 shares from people on all of our posts (our family members/close friends are exempted).

We only showed the Top 20 of 3224 shares because it's a very long and repetitive list of names due to the many shares of the posts. Thanks everyone for participating, we are overwhelmed with the likes & shares you made for us! and for those who didn't won, better luck next time.

 If only we could give consolation prizes for those who made efforts for us. :( but thanks for participating everyone! 

More promos coming soon!

For the winner, Ms. Kristine Pelayo, kindly message us in our facebook with your complete name and address. Thanks! :)

What Unhappy People Normally Do

Happiness: something everyone hopes to achieve in his or her lifetime. Such a simple concept, yet many have trouble realizing how to obtain it. Sometimes we unintentionally create our own obstacles that prevent us from achieving this goal. It is ever so important to realize the ways we are limiting ourselves so we can fully reach happiness.

Happy people and unhappy people see the world through two completely opposing views. Let’s look at the ways happy people stay happy, while the unhappy remain miserable.


1. Gossip

The only people who gossip are people whose personal lives are not fulfilling enough. If you are happy and content with your life, why do you even care what is going on in someone else’s? There is no reason to engage in this petty behavior — all it does is make you look pathetic and jealous.


2. Concern Themselves With Other People’s Problems

People who are unable to mind their own business are most likely internally miserable. They seek to find faults within others just to make themselves feel better. They tend to lead boring lives and have no excitement in their own, so they act in this manner to create something out of nothing. They seek to fill the gap in their lives by discussing the lives of others and judging them harshly, so that they can feel better about their own miserable existences.


3. Think Negatively

There are the miserable people, who are always complaining about anything and everything, while on the other side, we have the optimistic people who always look at the glass as half full and are constantly looking for more out of life. Thinking positively will directly affect your happiness since you are focusing on the good as opposed to the bad.


4. Act Jealous

There is no reason for a happy person to act jealous towards others. They recognize the good fortune they possess and relish in it. They do not compare themselves to others since they are more than likely content with themselves. Instead of acting jealous towards others, they take pleasure in their success and celebrate their accomplishments with them.


5. Seek Validation From Others

Happy people do not look to others to confirm their self-worth. They recognize their value on their own and don’t live up to anyone’s expectations. They do things for themselves that they believe will advance them in life. By not concerning themselves with the opinions of others, they can focus on personal growth.


6. Seek Revenge

There is no reason to actively seek revenge against another person. Leave that up to karma and just continue living your life accordingly. Instead of focusing on revenge, happy people try to make peace with the issue. The only way to stop revenge is to give up and to accept it. Replace the evil feelings with opposite thinking. This is the only way; rise above it and let it be.


7. Hold Onto Resentment

By holding onto resentment, all you are doing is continuing and intensifying your own sadness. Learn to let things go, especially those which are unchangeable and that are in the past. This feeling will eat at you from the inside and cause stress. There is a unique sense of freedom once you let your anger go.


8. Argue For The Sake Of Being Right

It’d be easy to voice my thoughts rationally, but quite as easy to do it condescendingly as well. Many people will have a belief and will hold onto it even when contrary facts are presented to them. If it is a topic that you know they won’t listen to with open ears, don’t open your mouth just so you can appear wiser in the eyes of those around you. You’re only boosting your ego. Do not force your opinions on others or think you know best, as everyone is coming from somewhere. State your point calmly and listen to others. At the very least, you can always agree to disagree.


9. Have Expectations

One of the biggest challenges we face in life is learning to accept people for who they truly are. Once you realize that your expectations cannot change people, the better off you will be. The problem will arise when the expectations do not materialize. Unrealistic expectations will, can, and most often do lead to disappointment. Do not expect things out of situations; just go into them with an open mind. This will allow you to fully immerse yourself without the pressure of living up to preconceived notions.


10. Avoid Personal Problems

When a problem arises, it is the unhappy people who tend to ignore it. This is an awful way to handle situations as the longer you let a problem linger, the greater it will become. You need to tackle issues head on and as soon as possible in hopes of rectifying the circumstances. The stress and anxiety of ignoring such things can and will make you miserable and consumed with worry.


11. Look For Happiness Externally

Your happiness is contingent upon your outlook and not the actual situation. You have the power to view things in certain ways, so it is crucial to try and remain positive. Look within yourself to create your own happiness. Do not look at others to fulfill you, you are more than capable on your own. No relationship or material possession can bring you true happiness until you are happy on your own, first and foremost. This is a fatal error far too many people make in their lives.


12. Over Think Things

Over thinking is what creates problems from nothing and is probably the leading cause for arguments between two people. Many people falsely believe that by over thinking certain things, they can garner a better result. There are actually little to no benefits to overanalyzing any given situation. All this will do is cause a person stress and anxiety. The more time a person analyzes a decision, the more time this person makes themselves susceptible to negative thinking. Rational decisions can become clouded when a person lingers on them for too long. The motivation and drive behind the initial idea can and will start to obscure.


13. Live In The Past

The past is the past for a reason and it has already happened. There is no reason to linger there since it cannot be changed. Happy people tend to make peace with their past and focus on the future. They actively seek out different opportunities in order to make the most out of their lives.


14. Follow The Crowd

Confidence is a crucial aspect of any happy person, just like this is a critical characteristic for a leader. Happy people tend to be secure in their values and beliefs and, as a result, have a propensity to be leaders as opposed to followers.


15. Take Things Personally

When you hear a comment that you think is directed at you, take a moment and think. Do not over analyze the situation at hand, just let the other person speak freely. Listen completely to what this person is saying – selective hearing is the cause of these misinterpretations. People tend to get caught up in petty drama, which typically occurs when one person takes something the wrong way. When it comes down to it, you’re in control of how you interpret things. Think of how much more you could achieve with a new perspective, one seen only through your eyes.

A Two-Month Preparation Wedding

Most couples plan their wedding carefully for like, a year or more. Of course weddings take very meticulous planning-- from bookings of a good wedding planner, venue, food, entourage, flowers, cakes, etc, and not to mention bookings for the church where you are planning to wed and the papers you have to process, so it will really take very long just to make your most special day happen successfully. Especially when you are born Catholic, everything should be in proper order and you will always follow the rules/traditions of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

But in my case, everything is rushed. Would you believe my wedding only takes 2 months to prepare? Because of a constant change of plans, what happens to be a civil wedding turned out to be a church wedding.

Yes, it sounds unbelievable and terrifying. Especially when you don't like rushed things for so many reasons, like you're not ready yet because you're still physically and emotionally stressed from motherhood, and you're not really sure what will happen next because we know rushed things sometimes end up to failure. It's even more scary because me and my partner haven't think about marriage yet at that time, we're still on the process of "saving" for the future first, marriage only takes place on the later part when we're ready and stable. But for the sake of strict religious beliefs from the majority of my family, we are being "encouraged" to wed because it is the right thing to do in God's law, and to make our child legitimate. 

Of course there's nothing me and my partner can do anything about it. It's still for the sake of our only child.

So the photos below are some of the outcome for the 2-month-preparation wedding. It's just a simple wedding with a very limited budget, so I chose carefully some of the most important details from the wedding because I also care about it too, like choosing an affordable but good photographer  and a dessert table so that it looks decent in pictures, at least. Although I fairly believe in quality over quantity, I can still say it's a look-for-less-kind of wedding. At least all our guests left the event in full stomach, and I also receive good feedbacks after the event. :-)

And I'm thankful to everyone who cooperated to make this event possible. :) Credits at the bottom of the page (Read more), including the links of their Facebook. 

Some details for the preparation...

The Photoshoot

And this is my favorite part - The Dessert Table

Other Highlights:

A Cheap And Do-it-yourself Product Photography

Hi Everyone! 

I know I'm not an expert to this type of photography but I just want to share how I do it without the need of fancy equipment. All you need is something you can find in your home.

To make a cheap alternative for a product studio:

• First, you'll need to find a natural source of light - your window. A window with a sheer white curtain works best if the sun is directly facing your window to avoid harsh light. But make sure the weather isn't rainy or else the light looks dull when you take a picture. I also used a white bounce reflector to lighten the shadows, or you can use a silver bounce or any white cardboard, or even an aluminum foil.
• Find a clean, light background. A white wall works best, but if your wall isn't white, try to find a plain white blanket or any fabric. Any light color will do as long as it's not printed or else it will obstruct your subject. Also make sure the background is free from clutter.
• Add some props if you like. At the image "Lenspen" above, I didn't add any props on it because I just want it to be simple, but I could've add some glass at the base of the subject to add some reflection to look more professional. But unfortunately I couldn't find anything glass base in our house. So I just left it like that anyway. :( 

But I have some photo here about adding props, like this one:

A friend of mine requested me to take a photo of their product so I just said yes. But the truth was I don't have any idea what my props would be. She only said it has to be something that looks like it's in a spa environment, but we don't have any of that in our house. So I decided to take something "green" outside, a plant or something I can find in an abandoned lot where tall grasses and unknown plants sprouting everywhere. I picked some tall grass and white flowers, I don't even know what flower that is, but it sure looks okay as a prop for the subject. I also brought the scented candle set with pebbles I saw in our living room, and a white towel I rolled to make it looked like it's from the spa. It took me a while to position the props in the right places for styling, as I said I'm not an expert, so I had many trial errors until I get the final shots that I'm satisfied with, like the image above. Although it's a little bit out of focus right there on one of the soaps as you can see at the middle. Still have to practice more with correct exposures and focusing. :D

I used Canon 600D and a 50mm f1.4 lens for a shallow depth of field for the product.
 You can use any camera or even a phone as long as it looks great for your taste. :)

So basically, I didn't spend anything! That's it, thanks for taking the time to read. :)

Have a wonderful day!

-Riza

Behind The Scenes with The Destroyer

I just want to share our behind the scenes for our "Die Cut Invites" photoshoot with my 2-year-old niece Megan Courtney a.k.a "the destroyer".

She destroys things a lot, but thankfully, no cards were torn nor crumpled while shooting these photos. She just played with them, also these photos are just few of the test shots my sister made to prepare for the lighting. Photos taken by my sister, Riza. She only used a simple and very basic lighting setup.

Photos taken with Canon 600D

Lens: Canon 50mm f1.4

Light: 40" inch softbox, using the built-in off camera flash feature of 600D

So that will be all. :)

Cheers,

Anne

- - CLOSED - - Like and Share The Page Promo/Contest!

Hi Everyone!

We just launched our page last July 8, so in celebrating our new venture, we're inviting everyone to Like and Share our Facebook Page to win cool prizes!

Here's the mechanics.