On Postcards

One of the best things I did this year was to swap postcards with people from the other side of the planet as this inspired me to learn more about cultures, languages and countries.It also sparked my interest on stamps. Would you believe if I'll tell you that before postcard swapping,I never had an idea that you can actually collect stamps? 

Actually swapping postcard is easy and won't cost you a lot. Although you have to be open-minded that not everything you'll send will be received by the person you are swapping with. It's quite heartbreaking but that's what made postcard swapping and pen paling beautiful.If you're hesitant about postcard swapping, I believe you should give it a try. I promise, every incoming postcard is worth the wait.

Finding Positivity

With all the things that's happening in this world, people are starting to be negative  and worry of what tomorrow might bring. I must admit, I am one of those people who would overthink and worry of what will happen in the future and sometimes, overthinking makes me sad. Actually, worrying even limits me from enjoying life and finding the brighter side of things. I know I'm not the only one experiencing this. I know people are feeling the same. But despite everything,the good news is, I learned that we should not worry too much about the uncertainties of life. We should not dwell on the things we can't control. Instead, we should do our best to look around us and open our life to the fact that "the world is bigger than we've imagined it to be." 

It's actually amazing to think that the world is filled with things that may seem simple but in reality, bring life to the lifeless-like world. Watching people is one of the things that bring life to this world. Whenever I feel sad or useless, I would sit or walk and watch people. I've been doing this since I was young and I must say I learned a lot from watching people.

1. I learned that most of the time, my problems are smaller compared to other people's problems. There was a time when I was ranting about my life as a student and I saw this guy working on our university canteen. He's working in a canteen where most of the students complain about how school makes their lives miserable. As I was looking at this guy, I noticed how he looked to the students and how his eyes wished he could study and achieve his dreams. Seeing his eyes made me sad and ashamed that I  always over-emphasize my problems without realizing that others have problems as well. 
2. I learned that it's the simple things that make people happy. Observing people made me realize that it's not the money nor the material things that make people happy. What makes people happy are their families, friends and the memories they've made with these people. I'd like to think that we are so consumed with material things that we forget that what's important are the things made out of love. 
3. I learned that we are made to care for and love others. Nowadays, people are so scared to love because they always feel like they'll get hurt. People care less because they feel like people will not give importance to their efforts. It seems like people nowadays are so scared of unrequited love.People are scared of not getting something in return.But let's not stop loving just because we got hurt. Pain should not hinder us, but rather strengthen our hearts to continue loving others. We live in a world where people should help one another and not in a self-centered world.
4. I learned that a smile can make things better. It may not solve our problems, but it can help to lessen the pain we are experiencing. 
5. I learned that we should not worry about things but instead pray and ask for God's help.It's actually inspiring to meet people who, despite experiencing hardships, are still positive about life because they know God will never let them down. When the world seems to be in chaos, we should not worry because God is in control of everything. He knows what's best for us, so instead of dwelling on our sufferings, we should ask for His guidance and use our sufferings to inspire others to do the same.

Francoise Hardy Playlist

I remember writing letters to a friend and one of the things I almost told her was my fascination over Francoise Hardy. I actually wrote a letter already, it's just that I forgot to include the letter in the envelope because I was so excited to give it to her. ( So to my friend, if you're reading this: Sorry and please bear with my weirdness.)

Back to my Francoise Hardy fascination, the content of my letter is a playlist of Francoise Hardy songs that I want my friend to hear. I thought of sharing my favorite songs to her because I feel like she'll like it too.Since I was not able to give it to her, I just thought of using that letter as a blog post. Wew.

1. Tous les garcons et les filles 
2. Ton meilleur ami
3. En attendant
4. L' heure bleue 
5. L'amour en prive
6. Dis-lui non
7. Soleil
8. Pourtant tu m'aimes
9. Je pense a lui 
10. Comme tant d'autres

Those songs are just half of my favorite Francoise Hardy songs, but I think these songs are good starter if you want to check her artistic evolution as a singer and songwriter. Enjoy!!!

My Journaling Materials

Since I started journaling last June, I became more passionate about the idea of inspiring people through art. I'm actually the happiest kid whenever my friends say that my journal spreads make them smile. But I don't want to be the only one doing this wonderful thing. As much as possible, I want to inspire more people to try journaling because it reduces stress and unleashes one's creativity.

Today I've decided to talk about the materials that I always use whenever I do my journal entries. I'm not really particular with what to use and most of the time I just use whatever I have. I don't always buy stuff because I find some materials to be so overwhelming and we can't deny that some materials cost more than our daily allowances.  There are a lot of alternatives you can do to make your journals creative, so don't worry.


These are the basic-est materials you can use in starting your journaling journey.

Journaling notebook is a must but don't limit yourself from using a legit journaling notebook. Mine's just an old ruled notebook I got from a relative. You can actually  use whatever you want to use, just make sure it's of high quality materials because that's the most important factor in choosing the right notebook.

Washi tapes. I know washi tapes are a bit expensive and I am one of those girls who would drool over  expensive washi tape designs available online. But don't  worry about washi tapes because I know there are stores that sell affordable washi tapes. If you want a personalized washi tape design, you can even create your own washi tapes. Just search DIY washi tape videos on Youtube and you'll find lots of tutorials.

Most of my stamps are my own designs and if you think I asked someone to carve my designs for me, the answer is NO. I designed and carved my own designs using rubber eraser and my X-acto knife, You can also do the same. It's quite time-consuming but seeing your design come to life is one of the happiest moments in this world.

Scissors, glue and pens actually depend on your liking. I use brush pens and fineliner pens but you can use whatever you want to. If you want to use brush pens, Zig is a wonderful brand that sells high-quality brush pens. For fineliner pens, Stabilo is a good brand and it carries variety of colors.

I hope this simple blog post will help you in starting your own journaling journey. God Bless on your Journaling Journey!

Details

These are some of the things I did. I love to draw/ write my things and give it to my friends or keep it for future purposes. Now, I found a way to use these things and that is by using it as wall decors. I know this is a good idea if you want to add something more personal on your room.

Denisse tries Journaling

If you're following my instagram account, you would already probably know that I'm currently into journaling. This is what I do to distress myself from all the stress and drama of being a University student. If you think I do this on a daily basis, the answer is no. But as much as possible, I try to journal at least once or twice a week. 

I'm actually planning to do a video about how I do my journals. But I guess that'll have to wait since I'm currently busy with school works and I'm wanting to do a post about the materials I use first.

Sunday Playlist #1

My current situation. Except that my eyebrows aren't that good!

I'm currently in the middle of reading cases for one of my class. I never thought I'll read cases since my program does not really dwell on things like that. But seriously, I find reading cases satisfying. Maybe after this semester, I would still re-read  all the cases and handouts our professor gave and will give us. 

Since I'm stuck in front of my computer, I can't help but procrastinate and listen to some songs. My playlist is a combination of everything. I find it satisfying to listen to variety of songs especially those coming from other countries because I get to discover how they see life, love and the things around them. 

1. Loving you- Francoise Hardy (my favorite English song of Francoise)

2. What a wonderful world- Sam Cooke (How can one be so creative to even write a song about being a student ? The singer must in love with his teacher or with the smartest gal in their class)

3. La plus belle pour aller danser- Sylvie Vartan

4. Stay Beautiful- Taylor Swift

5. If you listen- Francoise Hardy ( I just discovered how deep and beautiful Francoise's English albums are. )

Style Lessons from Sylvie Vartan

 



The first Sylvie Vartan song in my playlist is her version of Little Eva's The Locomotion. At that time, her Le Locomotion was the only Ye-ye song I listen to apart from Francoise Hardy's emotional tracks.  Since then, Sylvie Vartan became my Jeanspiration. I guess the very reason why girls  prefer this kind of combination is due to the fact that jeans is a versatile item that can be paired with almost all the tops available.

My only tip to all the girls wanting to have her " perfect jeans" is to choose quality over quantity. I'd rather buy a single jean worth xxx that'll last for 2 years than buy xx worth that'll only last for 3 months.

Digital Hand Lettering: You Can

You can do it!!!

Last month,  I bought my very first Zig Brushables. Before having one, I use normal brush for my works. Using a normal brush wasn't easy especially for a left-handed like me. My works look untidy because the colors smudge. It was one of my watercolor frustrations. 

So when I learned that brush pens are now available in the Philippines, I told myself that I need to have one. I remember checking every local online shops that sells brush pens. Comparing their prices and checking if they have physical stores since I don't want to spend extra for shipping fees. Luckily, the bookstores located near my place now offer the same products I saw online. Yehey!!!

One of the products I was able to create using my Zig Brushables is the "You Can" digital poster on top. I digitized my hand lettering using our Canon scanner and edited it on Adobe Photoshop CS3. The process was very easy, you don't have to be a Photoshop pro to do one. Once you master the basics of Photoshop, you can do something like the one I did and use it as invitations, posters or even desktop wallpapers. Isn't that great? 

These are other samples I did. You can change the colors of your background/ text depending on your personal style. So if you are looking for something to do with your friends, try this and I'm sure you and your friends will enjoy.

(If you want an in-depth tutorial about this, just let me know.)

Samal Island Photodiary

Samal Island is located in Davao del Norte. It's on the southern part of the Philippines so if you're coming from Manila, a flight to Davao City is the fastest way to get here. Once your airplane has landed to the city, a quick ride (less than an hour) will take you to the port where small ships will take you to the island. Though short, the travel to the island is wonderful. You'll see ships moving and waves dancing.

Aside from the resorts, there are old houses found in the island. The styles of each houses describe the decade it was built- a quick class on history.

The people are very friendly. They are very helpful and they always provide the best for their visitors. Like the other places in the country, life's not easy in the island. The roads are not that good and the people walk miles just to get to their destination. But as always, I admire how these people can still laugh despite the hardships they are experiencing.

Coron Photodiary

A peaceful escape from traffic. Coron is located in the northern part of the province of Palawan. The airport closet to Coron is the one located in Busuanga , so you have to rent a van that will take you to the  town proper.  But fret not if you think the ride to the town proper from the airport is boring. Busuanga is looks like a place straight from New Zealand- grassy fields and thousand cows.

The town proper, although small, is  the perfect  place for those who hate the noise of cars. Tricycle is the main transportation, more affordable than the ones in Manila. The foods are imported from nearby provinces since bananas, rice and even coconut trees do not grow in the area. Expect that the price of the foods are quite expensive, but don't worry, the foods are fresh and delicious-worth their price.

Island hopping in Coron is magical. Fishes of diffent colors and sizes will greet you. The virgin beaches can be compared to the ones found overseas. The calmness of the sea will energize anyone. The blueness of the sea alone is a work of art. The different shades of blue are really pleasing.

Never leave the place without knowing Coron's wonderful people. Everyone is friendly and hospitable- very Filipino. Their stories are really inspiring. They prove that life is still meaningful despite all the challenges this world gives.

P.S. Today is the Philippines' 118th Independence Day Celebration. This post is for the ever beautiful Philippines who never ceases to amaze everyone. 

Capturing Creativity

My attempt to hand letter some lines from the song Me and You using my Zig Brushables in black.

Hand lettering and music are two of my favorite things. Poetic songs are truly creative. Hand lettering works are also creative. I will always admire artists for being creative to associate their emotions with visible things. It isn't easy, I suppose, but I know it's a remarkable thing.

How can one be creative? you might ask. Look around you, I say. To be creative is to open our senses to our environment, what's around us. The things we see everyday, be it good or bad, can inspire someone to continue this passion. The  gloomy sky can inspire an umbrella designer to create a yellow umbrella. The blue sea can inspire a songwriter to write about the calmness it brings. The traffic can inspire an architect to work with the government to solve the traffic problems. Inspiration is found everywhere, always free for everyone's consumption.

Try walking outside. Free your mind from the things that worry you. Free your mind from all the expectations, open your eyes to endless possibilities that this world can offer.

Close your eyes and try to feel everything. Try to capture the moments that amaze you, inspire you or even challenge you. You don't always have to capture these moments through your camera, capture it using your eyes.  Phineas once said that the greatest camera is our eyes and I totally agree. Rewind it every now and then. It's not bad to rewind the moments that encourages you when you're down.

Style Lessons from the Ye-Ye Girl

                       

Francoise Hardy has been my ultimate French girl since the first time I heard how poetic her songs are. Her personal style is one of the reasons why I adore this shy and laconic girl. By looking at her 60s pictures, one can see that she leans on simple and basic pieces, which is very French. During the time when everyone wears girly clothes, she was sporting the complete opposite. Her androgynous style proves that you don't have to wear pink dress to be stylish. All you have to do is to be confident that beyond these clothes is the real you, loving and living life to the fullest.

On Expressions

Now I believe that the hardest thing to do is to express our love for the things that inspire us. Now I believe that it's hard to explain how someone or something fascinates us when we think that there's no word that perfectly describes how we feel towards that someone or something.

I don't know if this is true to others, but I am always having a hard time writing about the things that I love. I always feel that I whenever I start writing about my inspirations, I get lost. I don't know if I'm jut having a hard time writing in English or what, but the moment I start composing my thoughts, I get overwhelmed. I can't organize my thoughts. I can't think clearly. I can't.

And I will always ask myself with the same question; " what's the problem with you?" Je ne sais pa. I don't know. You see, if I know what's the problem then I shouldn't be having a hard time sharing my inspirations.  If discovering the best way to express my thoughts is a journey, then I would love to embark on that journey. It may take long but I am positive that it will be worth it.