I got transparent playing cards and that’s me in my cutesy Korean pose care of Ate Pang’s super cool polaroid camera.

I guess you’re wondering why we had our Christmas party already when it’s only November. December and January are the busiest months in the Philippine wedding industry. Wedding suppliers are booked almost every single day of those months. Surprising, huh?

We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in the Philippines but I would like to give thanks anyway for all the wonderful things that happened. I’m thankful that I was blessed with the coolest clients that collaborated with me to come up with amazing website designs that we are both happy with. I am a few blinks away from launching a couple of websites I’m working on and I am swelling with pride because nothing beats the feeling of making a client happy with a design you believe in. The only form of validation we should seek is the smile on the faces of people we serve.

There’s so much to be thankful for. In gratitude we harvest positive energy, and that kind of energy benefits everybody, even small pets. Stay tuned for a tribute to Booni, the beloved bunny a.k.a. the best pet ever.

I made a Chinese restaurant, while playing with the Filipino word “inihaw” meaning grilled.

Designing a room layout will forever excite, challenge and intrigue me.

Of course, we must always remember to add a touch of bunny.

Aside from design, there is a 10-second daily food quiz, too, which is nothing short of brilliant. It’s a nice way to learn and test one’s food knowledge. You have to manage your crew’s stamina or else they will lay down on the floor and scream in red bubbles. Low stamina will cause them to pout and move slow which will annoy customers. And annoyed customers will give you an unsightly thumbs down bubble causing your popularity rating to go down. If you visit your friends’ restaurants be prepared to help them from leaks, fire, a giant sleeping bear, hungry penguins and nasty skunks. Also, a big part of the game is to be quite sociable and trade with your friends for ingredients. This game is a charmer in its overall cuteness and wit.

Apparently, the grandiose gold statues I have in the middle attract posh people.

I got a lot of inquiries asking how I got clear and big pictures and the answer is I used my Print Screen button to capture every space and put them together in Photoshop. Yes, hard work. But hard work is satisfying and in this case- truly enjoyable.

I promise to go to a real restaurant soon, my friends.

You can change your pet’s outfits and can even be tricked. See the egg on my face?

Some of the items in the game are animated and that feature adds up to the overall appeal.

Playfish is also clever in tapping into the magic of your wallet by making you pay for extra cute stuff.

And if you have a light switch, you can turn off the lights and see the luminous objects glow. It’s a kind of magic!

And as if Pet Society wasn’t enough, I’m also hooked in playing another Playfish game called Country Story. It also lets the player get creative in designing his/her farm.

It took a lot of screen caps and Photoshop skills to produce a bird’s eye view. We’re hoping for a camera function soon, Playfish.

So there you go- as nerdy and as silly as ever with my little games. Aside from being a creative exercise, these games also give me opportunity to spend quality time with family members that are equally hooked to the game. Although I admit I got a stiff neck already from playing too much. Haha. I hope you guys had an awesome Halloween whether in the real world or not.

*You can play Pet Society on Facebook. or by going to petsociety.com.

Booni is an excellent subject even if he’s all white and fluffy like a cloud.

I turned twenty seven a couple of days ago and I spent half a week quite lost about the things I want. I buried my face in books trying to look for answers, I tried to write my dreams down and ended up falling asleep. Then, it suddenly occurred to me to try drawing for a change. I spent one whole rainy afternoon drawing my biggest desires and the activity left me feeling good and hopeful. I found myself on a very exciting journey.

That’s me in all my girly glory.

One of my greatest desires is to go to Egypt and be in the presence of the pyramids and all the fantastic Egyptian art and architecture. I want to see a falling star, to go to the United States and attend the HOW Design Conference 2010, to see New York and Texas, for Passionistta to take me places, to grow my garden of love, friendship, knowledge, gratitude and um.. savings! I carry a big bag filled with love, with beloved Booni the rabbit always with me on my life journey. But for now, I just want to start and embrace with my art since it’s what I truly love. And to be a proud and responsible Filipino or Noypi, of course.

Drawing what I want keeps my visions clear with strong determination to get them. And in the words of Deepak Chopra: Release the list of desires to creation, remain willing to accept something better. In putting my desires on paper, it’s like I am drawing the fulfillment of each closer to me. It is like setting the wheels in motion. In every line, in every exerted effort, I am starting to receive the things I seek. And most importantly, I start by genuinely doing and giving.

Little wants are fun to draw too.

So what’s not to love about drawing, right? To top it off, I get to improve my drawing skills (even just a little). Do you have a visual journal? Share some drawings if you do, or if not, it’s time to make one, my friend!

My visual journal is a Moleskine Volant Extra Small Notebook. Read about my other adventures with pretty Moleskine notebooks here.

Oh the joy of playing in the rain! I did get jealous of my niece and nephew and spent time under the weeping sky. Just that I didn’t look as cute as them. Lol. Anyway, the key is to have fun. And we surely did.

I hope you guys enjoyed the pictures and it’s never too late to get a good soak in the rain if you haven’t tried it yet.

I’m happy that Meiji improved their product by putting pictures and quotes on the sticks. Imagine yourself in the midst of your busy work day and you have a Yan Yan to give you a pleasant sugar break. I love reaching for each stick and reading what it says before I chomp on it. I believe it is important to take some time off every day to appreciate the silly and cute.

It is satisfying as it leaves you with a feeling of lightness- a snack for the soul. How amazing it is to pause and breathe and smile while filling your tummy with something delicious.