lessons i learned from my cats

1.  dolce far niente or the art of doing nothing. i used to feel guilty about doing nothing because i thought i was being lazy.  in a society that glorifies busy-ness, it is self-care to take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of stillness.

2.  choose, don't settle.  my cats have "expensive" taste when it comes to their food.  if it's canned sardines, they will just smell it for a few seconds and continue on what they're doing.  i had no other choice but to serve them freshly cooked fish every day.

3. sacrifice.  when you love your pets so dearly, you have to make little (or big) sacrifices.  more than half of my budget now goes to my cats.  there are times when i would eat instant noodles or artificially-flavored chili and beans so that i could buy fresh fish from the market.

4.  time for play.  no one can stop my cats from playing - even if it's 3 o'clock in the morning.  as an old adage goes, all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

5.  un-plug.  i spend so much time on my laptop without me even noticing it.  my cats are my constant reminder to stay away from technology for a while, and do more productive things such as household chores or groceries.  or better still, get a much-needed sleep.

6.  things are just things.  nothing is too precious when it comes to my cats.  they would play hide and seek on our custom-made curtains, make my belgian rug a makeshift scratching area for their nails, sleep inside my beloved vintage bags, eat my favorite desserts, and the list goes on.

7.  honor your negative emotions.  mainstream media thought us to stay positive, be strong, and never show a hint of sensitivity.  my cats thought me otherwise.  i lost my cat, kuti, last january and pretended to be okay with it for days.  it backfired because i was restless and crying for the next few days.  when you're sad and lonely, honor that emotion.  when you're angry and mad as hell, honor that emotion.  being in touch with your true emotion is the only way to set yourself free.

8.  the art of moving on.  ming-ming was purring and growling incessantly after he realized that kuti was nowhere to be found.  after just 2 days, however, he was back to normal.  if a cat can move on that fast, why can't i?  i tried to focus all my energy with ming-ming after that.  with a bit of sadness, i'm still thankful that i didn't lose both of them.

9.  belief in a higher being.   i asked the universe for help to bring back my cat, kuti, because i was losing hope of ever finding her again.  i prayed and prayed for months.  and then, on the same day i said goodbye to the memories of kuti, one scrawny kitty with the same quirks and same stumpy tail appeared in our backyard.  i felt the spirit of kuti in my new animal friend, mozart.

10.  cats are not just cats.  they are considered as my friends and part of my family.  they thought me how to love unconditionally, how to sacrifice, how to grieve and move on, how to relax, how to have fun, and most importantly, how to be myself when no one is watching.  my life wouldn't be the same without them.

garage decluttered

i finally found the courage to tackle our tiny garage.  you are not going to believe how much of a mess it was before.  i simply ignored it for months and months because our helpmate did not want to cooperate.  i'm not really sure why she held on to these much stuff.  as soon as she was gone, i unapologetically got rid of all the eyesores.  most of it went to my favorite recycler and the rest to our community garbage collector.  this experience was extremely freeing, not to mention i got some extra fund for my grocery that day.

here's our garage before.

after a massive cleanup.

and then, after a coat of white paint.  i couldn't be any happier with the final result.

even cinderella and her litter of five kittens agreed.

how i stopped my bottled water consumption

most of us are aware now about the saddening effect of bottled water consumption in our environment.  recycling is great, but to permanently solve this issue, we must stop the use of bottled water completely.  it took me a while to give up my "luxurious water" for something readily available in my kitchen.  studies have shown that tap water is as safe as bottled.  unless, of course, you're living in a community with poor sanitation.

this practical switch may sound a little obvious, but sometimes, what's obvious is obscured by mainstream media and advertisements by water bottle companies that could cost them millions of pesos to create and promote.

so, how did i stop my bottled water consumption? by buying this reusable water filter that you can easily find at any daiso stores or japan homes.  this is very affordable since you can get 6 filters for only 60 pesos.  one reusable filter could last me for two months before it gets dingy and moldy.

i was a little doubtful about this decision at first because i had been conditioned to consume only bottled water since i was a kid.  surprisingly, i found the taste of filtered tap water to have zero difference with expensive bottled water.  besides, just imagine the amount of money you can save by simply removing this one ugly habit.  little expenses can add up in a matter of days.

as always, it's not for everyone.  if you like convenience and permanent damage in the environment, then go for bottled.  however, if you want a little bit of inconvenience while being mindful about your carbon footprint, then choose reusable filter or plain tap.  how hard is it really to go to your kitchen, insert the filter, and fill your water container?

sustainable garden: eco backyard farm

i found these brown, hairy, crawling creatures feeding on my kangkong a few days ago.  since google wasn't much of a help at the time (okay, i was too lazy to google), i asked the help of experts on facebook.  when you're a novice gardener like me, you have to utilize all the information you can get.

super thanks to eco backyard farm for the 411, which was particularly made sweeter due their down-to-earth response.  so, these tiny crawlies are actually n-o-t butterflies in the making.   it was quite fun looking at them in our backyard, though.  i can't wait for them to metamorphosize into a night moth.

facebook link/contact details: https://www.facebook.com/EcoBackyardFarm/

youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecobackyardfarm

sustainable garden: gardening is an experiment

here's a confession: i'm only experimenting with my little sustainable garden.  it's actually a game of trial and error for me.  right now, i'm experiencing a "catastrophic event" with my sweet potato leaves.  i didn't see the culprit, but i found tons of holes on the leaves after almost a week of rain.

poor camote tops.  before embarking on this self-made project,  i promised my self to avoid the use of toxic chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, and other -cides.  i have yet to find the best solution to balance the eco-system in our backyard.

i'm trying to keep my spirit up, though, because gardening is not like brain surgery.  i can definitely learn something from this experience.  thanks to the help of internet and secondhand books, i am finally able to expand my knowledge about issues like this one.

i hope you'll start your own micro-farm now because the sooner you start, the sooner you'll reap the rewards of your labor.  if my black thumbs can do it, you can do it too.  what could be more fulfilling than freshly picked ingredients from your own vegetable garden?

lotta agaton

another interior stylist who made a huge impact on my design aesthetic is the ultra-famous lotta agaton.  she has mastered the art of perfect imperfection.  i think all swedish stylists know that a great design need not be all shiny and new.

photo credit: lotta agaton

photo credit: string furniture

link: http://www.lottaagaton.se/

link: https://string.se/

abigail ahern

abigail ahern is my ultimate design inspiration because everything she puts her hands on becomes magic.  i kid you not, she is the-bomb-dot-com.  i particularly love how she listens to her instinct when doing projects.  here's a glimpse of her new store to make you drool.  i could surely live in that place right now.

photo credit: abigail ahern

website: http://abigailahern.com/

facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theabigailahern

painted glass windows

we have these extremely ugly and nonfunctional windows in our second floor.  i hid them under thick curtains as a temporary solution back then, which sadly became a long-term design burden. with tons of free time today and paint supplies courtesy of my older brother, i decided to just paint them over.  i was done in less than an hour because i was too lazy to prep and prime the windows.

less than appealing windows before.

after two coats of matte black paint.  i am very pleased with the result because it completely blocks out artificial lights and provides added privacy to my walk-in closet turned bedroom.  you can also do this with clear acrylic paint if you wanted an opaque finish.

clean and minimalist.  the windows now make sense with the rest of the space.

i might still use sheer curtains to add texture and create contrast with all the hard elements in the room.  or, i could leave them as is for now.

shops to inspire: reform studio

photo credit: reform studio
link: http://reformstudio.net/

sustainable garden: lemongrass!

lemongrass is another easy plant to grow in your garden.  i highly recommend this plant due to its many benefits.  since we got this in our backyard, the number of mosquitoes greatly decreased.  its beautiful and graceful leaves don't hurt either, especially the relaxing sound they create on windy summer afternoons.

please click the link below for instructables video tutorial on how to grow lemongrass.  this is not an affiliated link, but i love short and simple instructions from the site.  enjoy!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Grow-Lemongrass/