Maria Rosa "Bing" Carrion-Buck or tita Bing, as part of her birthday gift to her sister Puchi donated copies of her award-winning coffee table books to the San Francisco Library. Mayor Gavin Newsom was there and recognized the Carrion sisters for their great contributions to the city.

Tita Bing, it was a pleasure and an honor to meet you and your family...Both you and tita Puchi are a great source of inspiration to me.

As usual, the occassion was a success...here are some highlights from the event:

When I turn 65, I want to be like Ms. tita Puchi :) ....Her birthday celebration held last Saturday, February 23rd at the Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City was an incredible event! Likely so, because Tita Puchi is an incredible person. It was a very rainy evening but the hall was filled with all her family and closest friends. There was so much love in the room -- hugs and kisses from family and friends, heartfelt speeches, beautiful song renditions and ofcourse, a lot of dancing. And thanks to Tita Bing, her eloquent and adorable sister, who played hostess that evening, the party was a winner!

And I have to say too that the Lake Merced Golf club is gorgeous...and the staff from the catering manager, Patricia to the banquet manager and all the servers that evening did a great job as well.... I surely would recommend this place!

Here are some photos from last Saturday:

I met tita Nimfa a couple of weeks ago. We chatted a little bit before we did the photo shoot for the Filipina Women's Network magazine and for the short amount of time I talked to her, I saw why she is a special person. She is a soft spoken woman, sweet, calm and very, very nice. But behind her sweet disposition, I also see in her strength and tenacity as a mother, (once) an immigrant, and now a CEO of a very successful home care business. To hear her story from when she first came here to the United States with practically nothing, to how she became one of the most successful Filipina business women here in the US is remarkable and inspiring.

As a Filipina woman, now on my own...she really inspires me to continue to persevere and dream big.

Thanks tita Nimfa for being an inspiration and a role model to me and all the Filipina women out there.

*To read her success story, you will just need to get yourself a copy of FWN magazine (or you can ask from me too when it gets published in April).

I hope Nanette and Rodolfo like Audrey's pictures --because I do -- not because I took them but Audrey is soooo stinkin cute -- and nobody can deny that! She was (and still is) such an angel when we did her shoot...makes me want to have a girl -haha!!

Anyway, I'm just glad to post these today and see her beautiful smiles and expressive eyes...I had a bad day today when I picked up my parents from the airport...my wallet was stolen --and it hurts.. :( Oh well, life must go on as they say...

Presenting Audrey...

Talk about an energetic girl...Meet Karina...fun and playful....This are shots taken during our conversation....love it!

Ok I am just loving these story boards:
Here are two from my previous shoots and really just a fun way to display photographs on the wall...

My 10x20 on Canvas:




And this one is a 30x30 on Canvas:


Really Cute and very customizable too!

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Pre-school Faire that was sponsored by the FUN Moms Club The task of choosing what the right school --ok the best school for your little one was quite daunting. As a mother, we'd always like the best for our kids. We want them to be in the best school, to get the best education, to be in the best environment...and as much as I did this for my first son years ago (well, that was a long time ago), there is still that fear: Will his dad and I make the right decision - will we put him in the school that is best for him? And yet, accompanying that 'natural fear" is a mixed sense of anticipation and nostalgia....

I am eager to see Troy go through the next phase of his life and yet, I cannot feel a little melancholy that he is growing up too soon. But I guess, that's just a natural stage for every parent out there....

For moms, dads and everybody in between, a poem I read from one of the literatures I took home:

A child who lives with gentleness
will touch with gentle hands,
A child who is understood
becomes someone who understands
A child who lives with patience
learns a way to wait for things,
A child who is taught to smile at life
is one who laughs and sings

when children find acceptance,
thats another trait to learn,
And children who are loved a lot
will give love in return.

This morning, I heard that Puja gave birth to a lovely boy...welcome to the world Rihaan! So here are a few more pics...a few more quiet moments before Puja became a mom once again and Karrina, a big sister.

What a wonderful time at the Shah residence...

Congratulations once again!

Finally some sun today. The past few weeks, the continuous gray skies, incessant rain and biting cold has slowly, at first meandered outside my windows and as days went by, crept inside the walls and little by little inside of me...Its a good thing I had my boys this past weekend and they kept me pre-occupied and "anchored". With their laughter, silliness, and playful selves -- they served as my internal sunshine that got me through the horrible, horrible somber gray days. Oh what would I do without them!

So today, I want to celebrate them -- my kids who not only provide me with sunshine and love, but colors ---different colors of life. They make everything so much more...I am treating myself and my walls to some of their warm smiles and colorful, soulful presence....

Off to my lab this goes....

FYI: These are both 20x16 storyboards...backed with foam core.

For Paul, Peggy and their 3 wonderful kids with their 3 Siberian Huskies. My very first time to take photos of dogs and I love it! We did not shoot right away as I wanted to get cozy a little bit with the dogs and by the end of the session, I wanted to go home with them....

Well, instead of me posting some individual photos, I'd just pose these...one is a 10x20 storyboard, ready to be framed and the other one is a collection of different frames and how they can look like in the wall.