Dinner With Madam

by on May 3, 2013 5 Comments

So my husband had an exhibit that opened last April 11.

It was a huge success and the response to his work was overwhelming, encouraging and humbling. I was so proud of The Painter.

At the exhibit we met Fr. Matthew, an art enthusiast who has been trying to track Orley down in the last 4 years. They finally met.

We had a great conversation and he invited us to have dinner soon after the exhibit. He said, “Madam” might join us. I didn’t think anything of it and looked forward to a nice evening. Little did we know we were going to have dinner with an icon.

The quotable quote of the night: ”It’s very hard to be hated. But it’s even harder to be envied.”

She gave Orley this plate with a print of her portrait by Claudio Bravo.

Whatever your politics may be, it doesn’t change the fact that Mrs. Marcos is a compelling, charismatic, warm and gracious lady. I have respect for her and the way she values art. Support for the arts in this country has never been the same since her time. I will always admire her for that.

Thank you for the unforgettable evening, Madam. I do hope we meet again someday.

Catch the tail-end of “Into The Light” featuring paintings by Romulo Galicano and Orley Ypon at the Altro Mondo Gallery. The gallery is located in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati. Exhibit runs till May 10, 2013.

Filed Under: Life, The Painter

The Painter Wins “Best In Show” at the Art Renewal Center Salon 2013!

by on May 3, 2013 2 Comments

I am so happy to share that The Painter won a painting competition again! I’ve already shared this on Facebook and Twitter, but I am still so very much on a high that I really just have blog about it. Bear with me. I’m so so proud of my husband I would rent out a billboard on EDSA to shout it out if I could.

The competition is the same one I blogged about last year, which is the annual Art Renewal Center Salon International. Last year, he won first place in the Figurative Category for this painting:

“Resurrection”. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

This year, he entered this painting:

“Interregnum”, oil on canvas. Private collection.

Out of 850 artists and thousands of work submitted, “Interregnum” was awarded Best In Show. BEST IN SHOW. When I read the email I couldn’t stop squealing!!

This same painting was entered into the Borobodur Auction in Singapore earlier this year, and did very well considering it was Orley’s first time to participate. I think this win is so well-deserved as I saw first-hand what it took to create it. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it is my husband’s blood on that painting instead of paint.

I am so proud of you Orley!

To know more about the Art Renewal Center and this year’s winners, check it out on their website here: http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/salon_winners.php?contest=2012-2013%20Salon&page=Main

Filed Under: Life, The Painter Tagged With: , ,

Myrene Santos: Mom, Makeup Artist

by on April 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

Myrene Santos and I met as cast members in the 2002 run of Trumpets’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. She was a hag, I was a bear.

There’s something about being in a theater run together that bonds you for life. Even after the curtains closed and the time we spent together became less and less as we went on with our lives, we always remained very good friends.

Our common passion was makeup. We spent many times huddled together backstage, applying animal makeup, theater makeup, after-show-gimmik makeup, sharing stories, girl talk, and lots of secrets, as girls do. She is a fabulous, bubbly, fun person to be with and motherhood has not changed that about her at all.

Myrene has an amazing stage performance profile. She’s been in countless productions and has worked with Repertory Philippines, Atlantis Productions, Trumpets, Stages, among other theater groups and events production outfits all over the country. Among her performances are roles in The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, Fame, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Dreamgirls. She also worked as part of the entertainment cast of Hong Kong Disneyland for a number of years. She is a talented singer, actress, and dancer, a true musical theater artist at heart.

When Myrene got pregnant and couldn’t perform, she began to rethink her goals. She knew that having a child would change her world; long rehearsal hours, early call times and evening shows that run till late were not the ideal for the life she wanted for her family. It was during this period of introspection that her husband suggested that Myrene go into makeup professionally. When her little boy Zach was 8 months old, Myrene entered Maquillage Professional to study makeup artistry.

After a year of doing odd gigs, she found herself entering The Makeup Academy in Robinson’s Manila to apply for a position to teach Theater Makeup. She instead ended up teaching Makeup 101, a class she truly enjoyed. When Makeup Academy closed, she and a partner took over the space and opened The Makeup Secrets School. Now, aside from teaching, she is a guest artist for MAC, head of hair and makeup design for The King and I at Resorts World Manila, does hair and makeup for Piaf under MAC, does makeup for magazine shoots, editorials and website features, and is making a name for herself in the bridal and wedding circles.

Clockwise, from top: Sheila Valderrama in The King and I; Migs Ayesa for Rock of Ages; Michael Bolton. Makeup by Myrene.

She is enjoying herself immensely, being able to do what she loves and still gets to spend enough time with her adorable Zach.

I love Myrene’s story of rediscovery because this is my own journey too. Often when I say something like, “Oh I wish I could still do <insert something I used to do here>”, some people will say, “You still can,” with a look that reads total unawareness of what a mother goes through. It’s a fact of life – mothers make sacrifices, sometimes at the expense of their own ambitions and dreams.

Myrene gives me inspiration that even if there’s a part of ourselves that needs to take a backseat, there will always be another part that can shine through. We can reinvent ourselves, find new passions, or rekindle long-dormant interests or even the little “what-if-I” moments that you pushed at the back of your head. It’s never too late to have new dreams!

Thank you for being such an inspiration to me, Myrene! I look forward to growing in the world of makeup with you as my teacher.

Contact Myrene for your makeup inquiries here:

Myrene Santos
email: makeupymyrene@gmail.com
website: http://myrenesantos.lens.ph
0917-8714359
 
MAKEUP SECRETS SCHOOL
4th floor, Midtown Wing
Robinson’s Place, Ermita Manila
(02)5598481

 

Filed Under: Beauty, Life Tagged With: ,

The SoMoms Say “Sige Sa Mantsa!” (Plus a Giveaway from Breeze!)

by on April 15, 2013 59 Comments
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It’s soooooo hot. So hot that there are days that I don’t want to move for fear that all my energy will be sucked right out of me. I am equally scared of heatstroke and summer electric bills, so sometimes Basti is running naked around the house in nothing but a diaper.

The first of the #SoMoms summer #sessions was a welcome escape from the urban heat. The wonderful marketing team of Breeze Philippines sponsored us for a day in Nuvali. It was a pleasant, early drive to Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where the #SoMoms and some invited bloggers were gathered for some fun activities for the kids, outdoor time, swimming and catching up with the others. It was a #SigeLangNgSige Day!

Teacher Anna and Teacher Kara of My Masterpiece Movement led a yoga session for the kids that didn’t stop the moms from joining too!

Basti got the be the bright, cheery and super enthusiastic Mr. Sun.

He was so very ecstatic. #hindihalata

The kids went totally nuts over the painting session. Teacher Kara laid out a plastic sheet, dribbled some paint over it and let the kids go crazy! Paint was everywhere! Kids were stained from head to toe, shirts, shorts, socks and everything in between!

We all helped to lay a sheet of paper over the painting afterwards and this was the result.

It became the base for our #SigeMoms and #SigeKids declarations! I think Basti and I will copy this at home. It’s going to be tons of fun making our own messy masterpiece.

Here we all are! (Yes, we have a SoDad!)

From L-r: Marc of The Fatherland, Me, Teacher Anna, Jackie of Go Jackie Go!, Belle of Cruisin’ Mommyhood, Janice of Mommy Mundo, Candy of The Corporate Housewife Mom, Patty of Non Stop Babble, Tin of Manila Fashion Observer, Christine of Mommy Journey, Jenny of My Mommyology, Kris of OC Mom In Manila, Cai of Apples and Dumplings, Teacher Kara.

 

We couldn’t leave without taking a dip in the pool. The water was irresistible!

The day was all about letting go and just letting the kids have fun. Breeze Philippines’ new campaign “Sige Lang Sa Mantsa” was the perfect collaborative theme for our day’s activities. Having fun can get messy and sometimes being messy is the fun itself!

We ended the day by declaring our Sige Sa Mantsa statements.

This is something I have to remind myself everyday. Even though I am pretty lax compared to others I’ve met when it comes to mess, I do sometimes wince when Basti turns his shirt into a paper towel. I don’t want to be that mom anymore!

We all walked away with a gift pack filled with goodies from Breeze.

The good news is, I’ve got two more of these Breeze gift packs to give away! Two of the blog’s readers will get to say #SigeSaMantsa too! Please join via Rafflecopter below. Entries will be accepted till next Monday, April 22, 11:59pm. The contest is open to all readers nationwide. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Events, Giveaways, Life, PR/Sponsored Tagged With: , ,

Beauty Instead of Madness

by on March 22, 2013 22 Comments

So you guys might be wondering (or maybe not) why I am suddenly so agog over beauty, makeup, etcetera and etcetera. No really, it’s all I’ve talked about in the last few posts, on Twitter and on Instagram (And for a few more posts to come, I must warn thee). Truth is, if you’ve known me long enough, you would know that this obsession, fascination and addiction to makeup goes a looooong way back. I started with makeup at a younger-than-average age and I will be into it ’til I’m old and grey.

But why the amplified fascination now? Why not from the beginning of the blog? Well here’s my confession: I need to focus my energy elsewhere or else I will be one hot mess. Because…

Basti is weaning.

*I will pause here because again, tears are beginning to flow*

I first started to feel the end of our nursing relationship on the day Basti did not ask to nurse for 12 hours. 12 hours became 20, 20 became 24. And then just a few days ago, 24 hours became 2 days. Two. FREAKING. Days. I had to stop myself from asking Basti if he wanted to nurse. I wanted to ask him, no, BEG him to nurse, to become my little baby again, just so I could smell him, hold him, cuddle him and remind him that he’s my little itty-boy and he doesn’t have to grow up if he doesn’t want to.

But he is growing up as children do, and I am the bigger baby than Basti because I am such a SAP. So there I was a couple of days ago reading an email sent to me by Basti’s school. He’s entering nursery school in June and the email was just to outline the enrollment procedures and schedule; nothing major, nothing particularly inspirational, just your regular administration and principal stuff. But what did I do? Like an idiot, I was crying my eyes out. OVER A FREAKING ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE LETTER! Can you imagine me on the first day of school? At a PTC meeting? Moving up day? Prom Night? I’d be lucky if Basti still wants to be seen with me when he’s 13. I’m going to be the most embarrassing mother ever.

Do you guys want to know the last time I wore Basti in a sling? Well don’t ask, because I can’t tell you. I can’t remember. I haven’t worn Basti in weeks. My carriers, save for two, are all in storage now. I still keep a couple out just in case I hear the sweet words “Mama, carry Basti” again. My heart isn’t ready to give up babywearing my big boy even if my back is celebrating.

So because of all this mothering madness, I am choosing to focus, to channel, to regroup. I am choosing to focus on me.

I am choosing to focus on my passions, to channel my energy into things that make me happy in order to be a pleasant presence in Basti’s life. It’s also my way of getting to know myself again, after two years of virtually thinking of no one else but this little boy. The makeup kit is being revived, the heels are coming out, and there is finally a little room in my heart and my life for a bit of self-indulgence.

Basti is turning three years old next month, marking my 3 years of being a mother now and forever. This period is going to be like hard candy to me – sweet, jarring, awkward and irregular, seemingly unchanging and endless, until one significant crack makes the hardness go away. And then I’ll find myself holding hands not with a little boy, but with a tiny young man ready to take on the world and mark it with awesome. I hope he’ll still let me hold his hand.

So forgive me, readers, friends and stray-Google-search passerbys, if the Mommy is becoming a Mom-Me. It’s the most I can do to keep my wailing at bay. We have to brace ourselves for more Madness. Our kids may be growing up, but they’ll turn into babies when they need us to be their mommies. Let’s look amazing while we do it, shall we?

Filed Under: Life, Motherhood, Thoughts and Musings Tagged With:

Let’s Help Alphonse Get His Heart Surgery!

by on January 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

Neva of ManilaMommy steered this little boy’s journey into my radar and I can’t help but empathize with this family as a mother.

From the website:

Alphonse De Leon was born on December 27, 2012. Unlike any other babies, he was barely crying when he got out. Little did his parents know that their little man has a serious health issue.

The following day, the doctors informed his family that Alphonse has a congenital heart disorder called Tetralogy of Fallot – there is a hole in his lower heart chambers causing him to not have enough oxygenated blood in his lungs and body. This is such a devastating news for them. It was supposed to be a happy day with their new bundle of joy around. But now, they are facing another challenge in their life because Alphonse will have to undergo an open heart surgery to cure his illness and be able to live a healthy life.

There are several ways you can help Alphonse raise the money (around $12,000) so he can get his surgery and go on to live a full and healthy life. From a $10 donation to digital scrapbook gift card, and even a purchase of super special gift boxes designed and made by Alphonse’s mom and her team, there’s a way that you can contribute to the extent of your capability.

Visit Alphonse’s fundraising website to know more.

I pray for blessings upon blessings for you and your family Alphonse! We send our love to you.

Filed Under: Life

Back from the Holiday Hiatus

by on January 18, 2013 2 Comments

Just like our favorite TV shows, I’m back. My brain is crawling back into the reality of everyday life. Ok, so it’s mid-January but you guys have to understand that my family lives on a slightly slower pace than some. Hehe. It also didn’t help that I got roundhouse-kicked by what I thought was the flu, but turned out to be DENGUE. Horror!! I was down for a whole week and then weak for days after the rash appeared. This was just mild dengue. My prayers go out to those who are experiencing a worse strain than what I got. The rashes were crazy!

How were the holidays for you guys? Ours was nice and homey. All about family. We have a new addition to our family and Basti adores him.

We started a new family tradition last Christmas. We decided that December 25 was going to be our mini-break time, every year. Unlike a lot of families, we don’t have family obligations on December 25. Christmas Eve is spent with my side of the family, then we usually leave a bit later for Cebu, just in time to spend the New Year with the Ypons there.

We spent Christmas at La Luz Resort in Laiya.The long drive was something I really enjoyed. I haven’t gone this way since my diving days and it was nice. It was a bit rainy, but there were hardly any cars on the road and we encountered no traffic at all.

I was perfectly content to stay by the beach and relax, while Basti was obsessed with the pebbly beach all throughout our stay.

Orley was in heaven over the landscape and took lots of pictures. Overall, we just loved being able to spend some time as a family.

I didn’t even unpack because we were off to Cebu for our annual visit right after. It was Basti’s first time to have his own airplane seat (and his own baggage allowance, thank the Lord).

It was a whole week of provincial bliss for Basti. He loved riding the sikad and playing in the yard, mostly throwing rocks at chickens and sweeping up.

He got to spend time with his brother and sister, plus all his cousins.

And he loved “Papa’s house”. This is actually our very first owned house. We love our temporary bahay kubo that Orley had built on the piece of land we recently bought. We slept probinsiya-style with a mosquito net and banig and everything. I can’t wait till we’ve saved enough money to start building our dream country home.

A visit to Toledo wouldn’t be complete without walking and exploring the rocky beach.

I ate lechon every single day I was there. I don’t think I can eat lechon again for a couple of months.

So here’s to 2013! I’m looking forward to more blogging, partnerships, adventures and new things to discover and share.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , ,

The Man Behind The Painter

by on October 30, 2012 20 Comments
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My husband lives behind a mask of mystery. Out of my gazillion friends, only a handful have ever met him and from that handful, very few have ever sat down and actually talked to him. I affectionately call him Snuffle-a-pagus. If you’re a child of Sesame Street, you’ll know what I mean.

Orley is a complicated man. On the surface he seems very solid, very level-headed. He doesn’t fit the mold of the stereotypical artist. In short he doesn’t have “the look.” No dreadlocks or weird expressive hair (well, kasi no hair na); no surly, brooding, unsmiling, silent and weird personality – only this quiet, and actually quite jovial Cebuano, who’s lived more half of his life in Metro Manila and never lost his “punto.” And he never will. Underneath his “normal” facade is the swirl that powers his art. It’s like a permanent whirpool at sea, always churning, always moving, and its this constant movement under the surface that gives him the illusion of calm and cool.

One thing I had to understand about being married to Orley is this: I will always be the other woman. Art is and will always be his first love. To him it is not a hobby, or something he happened to be interested in and decided to get into – Art is his life, his heart, his soul and his air. In our relationship, Art is a living, breathing entity, and I’ve learned to live with her. Sometimes I’m jealous, because she’s all my husband ever thinks about and is the first thing that comes to mind even in the most important of life events.

For example, when I went into labor, Orley had it in his head to make me sit for an excruciating ten minutes, butt-naked, so he could get nude reference pictures of me and my swollen belly, before he would even take me to the hospital.

We never go on a family vacation to a place where it is not “scenic and paintable.” Never.

When Basti was born, his expression of his joy was to paint. No spouting of flowery words or tears running down flustered cheeks for my husband – a blank canvas and tubes of oil paint will get his blood going more than anything in the world.

I joke about it, but it’s this same drive, this passion for Art that made me fall in love with him. His discipline is amazing. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, being married to an artist is far from romantic. There is no languidly lying around in drapery inspiring him, being a muse, bathed in perfect natural light while soft music plays in the background. It’s hard, hard work; physically draining, mentally challenging but life-fulfilling in so many ways.

We make a good team. We have a good YinYang thing going on. My extrovert complements his introvert, my animation makes up for his perpetual happy-sad-angry-fascinated scowl. He’s not very good with small talk, while for me, it’s an artform in itself. I’ve done his public speaking engagements and I talk to most of his clients and answer most his email.

My husband may not be articulate in words, but he talks to people in other ways. This is the way he communicates struggle:

Ahon by Orley Ypon. 36 x 24 inches, 2008. GSIS Museum.

This is the way he communicates peace:

Sunset by Orley Ypon. 16 x 24 inches, 2011. Private collection.

And this is one of the ways he interprets joy:

Joyride by Orley Ypon. 36 x 24 inches, 2011. Private Collection.

People look at his lack of academic art training and say “It’s a miracle! It’s truly a gift!” Yes, it is, but I believe he was given this gift because the Father knew he was not going to waste it. My husband took this talent and hones, works and bleeds for it, and he will never ever take it for granted. Orley is always studying, studying, studying. Even now, when he himself is a teacher, he will never stop being a student of Art.

For a painter’s family, life is not always the easy road. There is hardly any stability for me and Basti, and I’m talking about a lot of aspects – where we live, the money we earn, the emotions we have to deal with and so on. One thing is strong and stable though: my unwavering support for my husband. I believe in his art and I believe in him. It’s really absolutely disgusting how proud I am of Orley.

Yes, Art. As jealous as I am of you, I know you and I have our own space in my husband’s mind and heart. And I know you like me, too. How do I know?

 

Magmamais by Orley Ypon. 30 x 30 inches, 2010. Private collection.

That’s how.

Filed Under: Life, The Painter Tagged With:

Sentimental Me, Thanks to the New Johnson’s TVC

by on September 27, 2012 2 Comments

Have you guys seen the new Johnson’s TVC?

Seeing this took me back to a memory of myself flipping through our iPhoto albums, a few weeks before Basti’s first birthday. I was organizing photos, getting ready to archive, and I was bawling my eyes out. We’re not talking plain crying here; I’m talking wads of tissue on the table, some wailing, a lot of sentimentality and a tiny bit of hilarity. Who knew a year could go by so fast, and that a baby could change so rapidly? I was reminded of that day very much when I watched this and it led me to thinking more about what’s to come for me and my little boy.

Basti’s turned into a lean, sometimes-mean, most-of-the-time dirty, climbing, poking and running machine. He’s a Toddler, so much so that I have to type that with a capital T. This same time next year, he’ll be well into nursery school and the next thing I know it’ll be exams, sports competitions, the awkward stage and then gulp, girls.

**I solemnly swear that I will not be a horror momster-in-law.** But I’m sure I’ll manage some mischief anyway. >> Harry Potter fans would know.

Breastfeeding and babywearing put life into this blog. We nurse less and wear rarely these days, as Basti grows more into a kid each day, heck, each MINUTE. That has affected me, even this blog! If you notice I haven’t been writing much lately it’s because sometimes I don’t know what to say. I’m at a crossroads, one of many to come, and I feel ridiculous at times for feeling this way when my son is only 2 years old. And I know it will never end. He may grow up, become a boy, become a man, but Basti will always be my son and my baby first and forever.

There was one part of the commercial that struck me. This phrase flashed on screen: “Kaya habang kaya ko..” and I remember my own parents. My mom and my dad, for me, are the best examples of “habang kaya ko”. I’m not that baby on the bed anymore, but my mom and dad certainly never stopped taking care of me and my siblings, even when there were times I felt they shouldn’t anymore. I’m pushing forty and I turn into my teenage self whenever I step into my parents’ house. There’s the smell of the food I grew up with, the conversations I listened to all my life and familiar banter that hits just right above the belt. Relief washes over me and I know I’m in a safe place. My mom and dad, even at their age, are still our rescuers – always willing to lend us a hand when we’re flailing in the water. We appreciate it, and so do their three grandchildren.

That’s my one takeaway from this commercial – I hope I will become the kind of mom that will give Basti the same feeling of coming home when he’s with me. Even when he’s all grown up with his own family, I want him to always feel that his home, his mom and his dad will always be there to offer refuge, protection and support. Habang at hanggang kaya ko.

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I commend Johnson’s & Johnson’s for coming up with campaigns that always relate to us and our relationships with our family and loved ones. They are one company I’ve always admired, not just for the quality and care that goes into their products, but for their credo to always put their consumer first.

Aside from the new Johnson’s TVC, there are more things coming up for you guys with Johnson’s & Johnson’s. Please do “like” their page on Facebook (facebook.com/JohnsonsBabyPhilippines) to keep up to date on exciting stuff!

Thank you Johnson’s & Johnson’s for supporting PaintersWife.Com.

Filed Under: Life, Motherhood, PR/Sponsored Tagged With:

I Am A Heartsaver! Thoughts on the CPR Workshop

by on September 19, 2012 6 Comments

Last September 1, I attended the CPR Workshop organized by my pediatrician’s group, Health Dynamics. I’ve mentioned Dr. Elizza Senseng several times in my blog, and I can’t reiterate enough how blessed I feel to have her as Basti’s doctor. She is a true breastfeeding-friendly doctor, caring, compassionate, accommodating and entirely committed to children’s health and parenting support.

When she told me about this upcoming workshop I was really excited. I had myself certified on first aid and CPR when I got my Rescue Diver certification. When I became a Divemaster I was supposed to get re-certified every 2 years, but I never did! (I stopped diving professionally a long time ago, so please don’t get alarmed) It was very interesting to find out that things have changed since I first had my training.

What I learned:

  • CPR for adults, children and infants.
  • first response for choking for adults, children and infants
  • how to operate an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) – we got to say “CLEAR!!” just like on TV. Hahaha!

What I liked:

  • Clear and concise training process. The video that accompanied the on-hand training was super effective. It really made us understand how to administer effective and proper CPR.
  • Great training materials. We were all given individual face masks to put on our dummy for hygienic purposes.
  • UPDATED information by the American Heart Association. Did you know that some of the first-aid and CPR training available locally have not been updated in the last 10 years? Even some of our medical professionals are not updated, it seems. They are really pushing to spread the current information.
Because I was too lazy to go back and forth from my house, my mom’s house and the venue for the seminar, I took Basti with me. At first he was quite content to just stand by me and watch me and my dummy.

But the organizers thought Basti deserved to participate too, so they gave him his own “patient.” He mimicked everything we did.

My classmate was Yaya Tata, Jenny‘s super-nanny who knows how to cook paella. There were lots of yayas present that day. Some came with the moms, and some, like Tata, were just sent by their employers. Here’s Tata working the AED on the dummy. She commented later that this seminar was so much different from the one Jenny had her take a few years back.

Thank you to Doc Elay for entertaining Basti when he started saying, “go home, ride car”.

And now, I’m a Heart Saver!

Just in time. Basti came up to me with a mouthful of magnetic numbers the other day. He’s definitely in the swallow-anything-and-everything stage.

Thank you Health Dynamics for giving us the opportunity to take the CPR workshop! I hope more seminars will be held soon.

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