Since a young child, I've  always enjoyed arts and crafts. I love seeing the end result and now that I'm a mom and a home owner, I enjoy this pass time even more. I take pride of seeing my home adorned by hand made decorations.
As a mom of a toddler, crafting makes weekends so much fun and seeing her creative progression as she gets more comfortable with the tools and materials available to her.

My latest project is a wall art to go in our master bath. This is the only room left in our house that I've neglected to decorate. You see part of my arts and craft process is to really think things through and especially crafting a decorative piece -- making sure everything I put has some sort of meaning or purpose is very important to me. I really don't like just hanging anything up to cover an empty space. I'm also mindful of the extra effort of having to patch the holes after  hammering nails through the drywall. So with the exception of the beautiful paint color chosen, our bathroom walls have been barren.

While flipping through a decorating magazine at the doctor's office, I came across this great crafting project. Instantly, I knew this was sometihing I can do and would serve a good purpose in the neglected room. It is a photo frame that I've altered to hold my collection of fashion jewelries -- dangly earrings to be exact. I was thrilled with the idea. It was a nice, unique wall art but had a purpose to keep my accessory collection organized. I was very excited to get started.

As I dove into my latest crafting project, I began associating my decoration concept into my role as a Social Media marketeer particular with the popularity of Twitter and Facebook. Many businesses are shifting their marketing efforts online and the latest marketing buzz words are 'Twitter' and 'Facebook'. I see more and more brands including their Twitter or Facebook URLs into their advertisements and sadly disappointed after seeing their Twitter or Facebook pages not showing its true potential.

I think many businesses today just include Twitter and Facebook because its the trendy thing to do or perhaps more as an after thought. These social media tools if conceptualize thoroughly can really make a huge difference as an extension/enhancement to market a brand. Like my accessory organizer wall art, Twitter and Facebook should be created with some sense of meaning, benefits and purpose for the company as well as its customer.
As a consumer, what's your opnion about what businesses must do to establish a successful Twitter or Facebook presence?

I'm a Hugh Jackman fan. I loved his rough and tough portrayal in X-Men and Wolverine as well as his romantic side in Kate and Leopold. In 2008, People Magazine and GQ Mazgazine awarded him the coveted ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ title! I was astonished and extremely delighted by his stellar performance hosting the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Needless to say, Hugh Jackman possesses plenty of appealing attributes that makes him adored by many.

Today, I came across an article which raised the bar further of my appreciation for this talented actor. As a mother raising children in this day and age where I feel like common courtesy and civility is diminishing, I really applaud his stance in regards to cell phone rudeness.

This is one of my pet peeves. Last week at my uncle’s funeral service, cell phones were ringing off the hook. The first incident was forgivable, but hearing a ringing phone, it should pose a great reminder to check your own phone and alter the ring tone setting to mute, vibrate or turn the phone completely to avoid further interruptions. Well, that’s what I thought/expected people to do when they heard that first cell phone ringing, but 5 people apparently thought they were entitled to disrupt a funeral service. It was so annoying to hear 8 total interruptions in the middle of a somber moment. There was one lady, who callously held on to her ringing phone while the Priest was going on w/ the mass. She was unabashed by the agitation many expressed as she allowed the phone to ring continuously... and not once, but twice! Ugh! What are your thoughts about Hugh Jackman's reaction to cell phone rudeness?

Image courtesy of Time Magazine Archive

“I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.” - Corazon Aquino
January 25, 1933 - August 1, 2009

After coming home from dinner, I saw Corazon Aquino's name listed in the #1 slot of today's Yahoo Popular Searches. A long time fan of the former president of my motherland, I immediately clicked on the link. The thought on the back of my mind was sadly proven right as I read the news article's headline -- "Corazon Aquino, Philippine president dead at 76".

My first thought was, WOW, What happened?! Just like the death of Michael Jackson, it's not really until you find out about the loss that you begin to appreciate the full measure of their place -- their impact in our lives. So, as read through the article, my senses quickly caught up of how poignant this woman was to my life.

I was 7 years old when I first heard about Corazon Aquino. My brother and I were still in the Philippines and I recall my mother's concern of the political unrest of the country and she wanted for us to return to America. Our family was divided because my great-uncle was at the time the Speaker of the House in the Marcos regime and was second in line of the presidency. I was still very small, but I remember a lot of passionate debates in our ancestral home. My uncles, aunts, grandparents were divided and we were completely guarded afraid of what people would do to us knowing of the family ties.

Part of my recollection of that time was watching a lot of political debates on T.V. and watching the news and seeing this woman with big glasses, and an even bigger smile with an arm up high holding an L-sign and the people chanting around her "People Power!" She was tiny but she made such a huge impact. I was captivated and didn't find the situation to be scary or bad. I thought how could a small woman who resembled the appearance of a carrying mother be ever viewed as mean or scary? Just like our nation was recently moved by Obama's presidential rise, so were many people around the world of Corazon Aquino in the 1980s. She was a widow seeking vengeance against her murdered husband. She was the David fighting against the Goliath Marcos. She was a woman fighting in a man's world. She was a person who fought for principle, questioning the corruption and the abuse of leadership. She was a mother-a sister-a friend-a fighter--a leader. I was very young, and really didn't know much about politics but from what I observed, her resilience formed a lasting impression on me. When she won the presidency, it was such a powerful statement as a Filipina because this was when I realized that anything IS possible when you put your mind, courage and faith behind what you do. Her life is a great example of what a woman, mother, wife can achieve.

Cory Aquino, the world is a better place because of you. You are truly one phenomenal woman and I thank you for your lasting inspiration.

“Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope.” - Corazon Aquino

I participated in my first Online Community Round Table (OCRT) discussion last night. The event was coordinated by Bill Johnston of ForumOne and hosted by Yahoo at their Sunnyvale campus. It was such a great intimate gathering of a few of the industry's enthusiasts and advocates.

While I gather my thoughts to expound on a couple particular interesting topics discussed last night, the overall conversations among the group were so captivating that I thought I'd share some here to also hear your points of view.

Here are the HOT conversation topics discussed:
1.) Social Colonization - This was a follow up to Jeremiah Owyang's recent write ups:

In the article, Jeremiah states that "soon, every product page and webpage will be a social experience –even if brands don’t choose to participate. As a result, people will lean on the opinions and experiences of their trusted network –diminishing traditional marketing efforts."

The Future of the Social Web: In Five Eras - http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/27/future-of-the-social-web/
Trends: Impacts Of The Era of Social Colonization –Every Webpage to be Social - http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/06/16/impacts-of-the-era-of-social-colonization/

2.) Social/Community Influencer and the question of what constitutes as an influencer? A few believed the role of an "ambassador", "evangelist" or basic user (i.e. review writer) constitutes for a great influencer. Its not so much what a person say but more of what is said at a certain time -- (i.e. saying the right thing at the right time) is the key to influencing.

Marc Smith was referenced during the discussion as a person who writes about technologies available that can test social Influencers within a community. The question was then asked if there is really a way to measure influence? If so, what are the key components in doing so?

3.) Managing Personalities in a Syndicated system:
With various tools available to streamline the ability to widely broadcast messages (i.e.FriendFeed, Twitter, YahooPipes, FB, LinkedIn), how does one effectively manage their personae where one persona doesn't seep to another? Will social media shift from false personas to real name userIDs? If so, will it change the dynamics of online communities?
How? With real name as userIDs, will self-identity eventually become a brand?

4.) Is Blogging Dead or Is Blogging part of a Community? These questions were asked in the interest of corporate blogging since ROI cannot be clearly measured. How does one present to a corporation that blogging is another effective community outreach medium? What constitutes a great blog?

I'm curious and eager to hear your thoughts ....and with that said, let the commenting begin!

It was her 2nd birthday that she received a pink tu-tu and satin ballerina slippers. Since opening that present, she’s wanted to take up ballet lessons. For several months, she pleaded with her daddy and I to have her stop Gymboree and have her enroll in ballet class. Considering her eagerness to learn, I looked into ballet schools for preschoolers but unfortunately, the many schools I looked into had a minimum age requirement of 3 years old. I had to tell our eager little ballerina-to-be that she will have to wait one more year to take up ballet classes. Much to her chagrin, she waited and counted the days until her 3rd birthday.

December came quickly, (well for me any way). She was so excited to celebrate her big 3 birthday because it meant, ballet school was to become a reality! Unfortunately, December was such a bad time; Justin was in the thick of full-time work and full-time school. I was challenged with a very complicated pregnancy on top of trying to hold down the fort while we had Justin focused. Again, I had to sit our eager little ballerina-to-be and tell her that once again we needed to postpone the ballet lessons just a little bit longer. I saw the disappointment on her face. I felt terrible for not keeping up with my promise but the circumstances of my pregnancy did not allow me to do very much. She was such a trooper though as she did not put up a fight. She just asked as to when the little bit longer will be?
I told her as soon as Daddy finishes with school. She was satisfied with my response meanwhile continued to play with her pink tu-tu and satin ballet slippers and danced around her new baby brother.

It was a week after Justin’s graduation – a Wednesday to be exact. We sat at the dinner table doing the typical weeknight family dinner. She started the conversation like this…
Sophia: “ ummm…Mommy, Daddy had his graduation right?”
Me: “Yes, he did. Remember we went with Grandma and Grandpa to see him graduate?”
Sophia: “Yes. So he is done with school, right?”
Me: “Yes, Daddy is done with school.”
Sophia: “Yippee!”

I have to be honest, at that time, I had completely forgotten about the promise I made. So when she made that comment, Justin and I just looked at each other and didn’t think much of it but merely a cute dinner conversation she attempted to make with us. It must have been 10-15 minutes after the initial conversation when she tried again. She said, “Mommy remember when you said after Daddy was done with school, I can go to ballet school?”
Her memory caught me by surprise. I responded with a smile and said, “I do remember and I guess it’s time for mommy to look for ballet school for you, huh?”
My response was exactly what she wanted to hear because she had this bright, beaming smile and with great excitement, yelled “YIPPEEE! I’m going to ballet school, Daddy!”
The last time we saw her as excited was when she found out she was at Disneyland!
It was truly a wonderful sight to see.

The next morning, amidst a busy work day, I spent my lunch time calling around ballet schools. I felt it was only fair to sacrifice my lunch time as my tenacious little ballerina-to-be waited patiently for over a year. I posted on my Facebook status for any recommendations and sadly to no avail. I decided to call the old dance studio I used to go to when I was a little girl. It was quite serendipitous as they were taking enrollment for their 6 weeks summer pre-ballet/tap session that was to start within a couple of weeks. After work, I picked up Sophia from pre-school and told her that I had a surprise. At this point, I was also very excited to share with her the surprise. We went to the dance studio and there the surprised was revealed. She was completely wide-eyed and grinning from ear-to-ear. She was mesmerized. She saw girls her age with their leotards, pink tights, ponytails and ballet shoes all lined up ready for class. She was awestruck. I told her that in 2 weeks, she will start her ballet lessons. Just when I thought my little girl’s eyes couldn’t get any bigger, it did! She was overjoyed.

When I took her to the dance boutique next door, she appeared to be walking on air. She was absolutely, completely over the moon ecstatic. We got home with her new dance gear, and she was so excited to show it off to her baby brother. She twirled and plied around the house the rest of the night.

Last Saturday, she had her first official dance class. Sophia was excited; she was the first one there. Knowing how long she’s waited, Justin and I watched her pleased that this has finally materialized. The ballet instructor showed the class the different techniques, and we can see her such enthusiasm and attentiveness to the class. We were very impressed in how she was able to mimic the movements with great ease and grace. Since then, she’s been practicing at home, and having her baby brother as her #1 spectator. During dinner she tells us that when she grows up, she will be a ballerina! Perhaps my mom's dream of attending Julliard will be materialized through Sophia!

I think this is a fitting time to resume my blog.
It's almost a month since I returned back to work from maternity leave. Today, Gavin turns 4 months old. I still can't believe how quickly the time has passed by. Long are the days of the tough pregnancy (thank God!) and he is surely progressing quite well. He is at the 90th percentile in his weight, weighing in at 18.4 lbs, and in the 50th percentile in his height at 26.5 inches long.

These days, he is more of a wiggle worm and gaining awareness of his surroundings. This makes interacting with him more fun. He loves splish-splashing in his bath tub, I wake up to the sound of his cute morning coos over the baby montior and he absolutely makes my heart melt with his adorable giggles that shows off his lovable dimples.

Each and every day, I feel truly grateful for the many blessings, one of which is our little BIG boy. What are you thankful for today?

Being the last day of 2008, I sit and wonder where did the year go? What did I do? The 5 things that are always on my to-do list are:
* 1. save more money
* 2. better my physical health - exercise more/eat better
* 3. journal - to help inventory what I've done
* 4. strengthen my relationships - among family & friends and spiritually
* 5. read more -- esp. pertaining to Marketing/Social Media career progression.

Overall, I don't think the list is unreasonable, I know that like everything, I must take it in strides as I know myself better and will struggle in sticking to the plan.

What about you? As you reflect on what you've done in 2008, what three words best describe your year? What are your new year's resolutions? What are you ideas/suggestions to sticking with the plan?

Gosh darn it, I finally did it! It's been a long process to finally type in my thoughts and now, here I am joining the gang as a blogger! I'm quite excited yet apprehensive about how to keep this up.

I've been wanting to participate since LW launched Social Voice. Everyday, I have great ideas of topics to write about -- time has always been my biggest hindrance. As 2008 comes to an end, I am determined to start this bold adventure in the BlogSphere. Amidst full time career, mommy of 1.5 kids, (Sophia, 3 and baby boy due in March/April 09), and supporting hubby/BFF who is also in pursuit of his own progression -- full time Corp. Finance Analyst by day and MBA grad-student at night and weekends -- timing is definitely of the essence.

I looking forward for the opportunity to share my thoughts about my personal interests. This would include:
- Parenting
- Visual Arts - photography, dance, arts and craft, jewelry making, home decorating
- Gardening - orchids, veggies
- Cooking -- eating healthy, easy cooking (20-30 minute meals), restaurant reviews
- Books - reviews/recommendations
- Music - latin jazz, r&b, jazz, blues, classical, hip-hop, (some) alternative, some rock
- Fashion - latest trends & bargains finds
- Travel - budget family excursions
- Spirituality

In addition, sharing my work experiences as a Marketeer ranging in Event Planning, Project/Product Management and most importantly as a Social Media/Community Manager will provide an opportunity to learn and get to know some of you better. By sharing some of the lessons learned, we can help one another in our mutual desires to progress in our careers.

Stay tuned as 2009 looks very promising!