I've been tagged!

I've been tagged but my good blogger friend Shelley from Calypso in the Country. SO here it goes...

1.  Are you named after someone?  
I wish, I was named after a street. Actually my full name is Maria Claravel. Maria Clara is one of the most famous female literary character in a Philippine novel called "Noli Me Tangere"  and initially I thought I was named after her. But when I asked my mom, she nonchalantly said  "No, I named you after a street I saw, just around the corner from our first apartment"! Hah!

2.  When was the last time you cried?  
3 weeks or so ago, I got upset with a petty argument about the baby's name! LOL! My hubs was having 2nd thoughts about the name "Sophia" since he found out it was the most popular name in 2011 and 2013,  but I didn't care and I cried!!! Petty, petty, must be the hormones!;-)

3.  Do you have kiddos?
Yup, 2 boys and a little girl on the way - the center of my universe.

4.  If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?
YES definitely! We would have so much fun shopping together!!!!

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5.  Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Have a weakness for anything chocolate - I have them everywhere from home to work. I also collect dolls - not the collectible and expensive one, Disney dolls!

I have more than these...

6.  Do you like handwriting?
Nope. My hand-writing is horrible!!!!!
 But I still write my "thank-you notes" & Christmas cards whenever I can!

7.  What is your favorite cereal?
Nestle's Koko Krunch - it's from the Philippines, my mom sends me a boxful from there! Super yummy, haven't found a substitute for it here yet!

yum

8.  What's the first thing you notice about people?
Their feet. Yup, I have a foot fetish sort of... weird, but true. ;-)

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9.  What's the color of your eyes?
Brown black.

10.  Scary movie or happy endings?
Never liked watching scary movies, so definitely I'm a happy-endings-kinda-gal!

11.  Favorite TV shows?
I binge watch my shows - Sherlock, Downton Abbey, House of Cards.

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12.  Summer or Winter?
Summer baby yeah! I would live by the beach someday. :-)

13.  Hugs or kisses?
Both. Love giving hugs and receiving kisses more.

14.  Do you have a special talent? 
I can sing Videoke like no one can... well sorta!

one of those moments

15.  Where were you born?
Manila, Philippines

16.  What are your hobbies?
Collecting, decorating, shopping, reading blogs, watching movies, trying new recipes.
  
17.  Do you have any pets?
Does our pet Beta count?

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18.  Favorite movie?
Sooo many - but to name a few : Sleepless in Seattle, While you were sleeping, The Devil wears Prada, Shawshank Redemption, Toy Story, LOTR series.

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19.  What color is your car?
Silver.  I drive a momma van a.k.a. mini van.

20.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
I'm lucky to be doing what I love now - a kiddiedoc and would probably do it the rest of my life (yup no retiring, just slowing down). And oh yeah, Travel, travel, travel, like there's no tomorrow!

CHEERS!

Now I'm tagging these awesome bloggers next!

Selene from Restoration Beauty

Lisa from Texas Decor

Marty from A Stroll Thru Life
Brandi from Don't Disturb this Groove
Carol from An Oasis in the Desert
Fabby fromFabby's Living

My ORC faves

After last week's super successful ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, a lot of bloggers have been posting about their favorites. I can't help but share some of mine as well. Yup, the ORC fever is still in my system and I just have to let it out!

Choosing though was way more difficult of course than I anticipated, everyone added their own zest and zing into their spaces but a couple of them just blew me away! I just have to share them with you and also these spaces all have inspirational aspects that you might enjoy too!

Let's start with my favorite Living Rooms…

Heather's Vintage-filled Living Room - Tatter & Fray

Proof that there is beauty in the tattered and frayed items that surround us! This room was almost entirely decorated in beautiful vintage items, a joy to tour around in.

Sherry's Gorgeously rich Living room makeover - Design Indulgence

Sherry shows her mastery of mixing a lot of neutrals with pattern and texture. This space is straight out of a magazine!

Chic Bachelor Living Room from Naomi - Design Manfest

Naomi's room totally rocked! Every little beautiful detail thought of and mixed well to give this lucky guy and his boys a cozy room to be proud of! Love this make over so much, the Dining room was also fave!

The Chic Bachelor pad Dining room by Naomi - Design Manifest

See what I mean? Simple patterns that men won't be too overwhelmed looking at right?!

Staphnie's fabulous Dining Room Transformation- Stephanie Krauss Designs

What's not to love about this space? Cozy navy, just the right dose of pattern on the wing backs and the curtains and ooh-la-la accessories! You should really see the BEFORE pics!

Now for my favorite bedrooms...

 

Pam's Luxe-glam Bedroom - Simple Details

The picture says it all right? Majestic headboard, a brilliant ostritch-covered IKEA hack side dresser table,  mirror detail and all the gold on the walls!!! I'm just in love.

Heather's colorful Guest bedroom - Vivid Hue Home

I probably could not sleep in here since I would be ogle-ing at so many beautiful things to look at in this space! From the gorgeous lighting and styling, Heather made this room very special and her guests will surely feel the same way too!

Kimber's Preppy Vintage bedroom - House of Pemberly

I love the vibe in this space. The mix of colors and placement of the wall art beside the dresser is just pretty perfect!

Stacey's Minimalist/Feng-shui chic bedroom - Design Addict Mom

 Aaaaahhhh, a breath of fresh air, love the right amount of pattern on the wall and despite that it achieves calm and simple beauty all at the same time!

Now for my fave Family Rooms...

Elizabeth's Stylish but kid-friendly Family room - The Little Black Door

This is the perfect example of a functional and beautiful family room if you've still got small kiddos in the house. A nook for everyone yet still embrace mommy's fabulous style! Take note of the stripes on the floor and the stairs too!

Our host Linda's Serene blue Family room - Calling it Home

Now this, is the perfect family room if you still have big kiddos in the house. Love that it is filled with both style and comfort and of course, I love all the blues and chinoiserie all around!

For my favorite offices...

Caitlin's Shed to Cool Workspace - The Shingled House

Would you believe this space used to be a SHED? I was just blown away with this one, love the contemporary and rustic vibe all together, and that fireplace, once it starts working will only make things more perfect for this space!

Rebecc'as Glamorous Vintage Work space - My Darling House

Isn't is amazing when someone designs a space with what seems to be a room filled with stuff when in actuality, it doesn't? This is what I love so much about this room, everything Rebecca put in this room is worth looking at. Love the mix of the contemporary and vintage pieces too!

The one and only Kitchen and why it's a fave...

Kim's Beautiful Kitchen Makeover - The Green Room Interiors

Kim is just one of those designers who can whip up something gorgeous no matter what's given to her. I love how she was able to pull off this beautiful kitchen without changing the cabinet doors, the styling and the whimsy mixed with the chic! Just genius!

My fave Powder Rooms….

Nancy's Organic Chic Powder room - Powell Brower Interiors

I love how Nancy achieved the organic feel in this space without making it feel sparse! The wallpaper is not overwhelming and makes for a serene respite even if your only there for a few minutes! Just so pretty!

Kim's Gorgeous Powder room - Kim Macumber Interiors

Now Kim's Powder room is probably the opposite of Nancy's. Full of pattern and deep colors, but still manages to pull of a space that's not overwhelming but just so lovely to look at! Brilliant!

Now I can't do my fave's without these Kid's spaces...

Susie's Amazing Play Space - Maddies Nest

I need to do a picture mural like this fast!Doesn't this space make you want to have kids?!! ;-) Nuf said!

Lisa's Pretty girls bedroom - A Room with A View

Love the DIY decor on the wall and the chandy is simply perfect for this little girls's room! Easy switcheroo too someday as the kiddo grows up!

Kim's wonderful Nautical Nursery - The Kim Six fix

I love all of Kim's DIY's for her son's room, very inspirational transformation, you should visit this space wether you are or are not expecting!

Aaryn's sweet nursery - My Rose Among Thorns

And of course, for anyone lucky enough to have a baby girl, this nursery is just too sweet for words!

Now for my favorite Gallery Walls...

A Pefect Gallery wall from Gaby - The Vault Files

What can I say, the black walls and lighting and right mix of art, make for a perfect gallery wall, bathroom or not!

Lisa's Awesome Travel Gallery wall - Shine your Light

I truly love the sentimentality that went to this Gallery wall. It's like a huge wall of keepsake of memories!!!!  Perfect for any kind of family!

Perfect Art Gallery Wall by Kerry - Design Du Monde

I love how Kerry managed to fill a wall full of portraits without making it look creepy or museum-curated! It's probably the artist in her that made this gallery wall in her son's room just brilliant!

Now my last fave is actually a DIY...

Kris's bedroom is gorgeous but this IKEA hack just rocks - Driven by Decor

You have to see the entire room to know what I mean but this linen-covered Ikea dresser is just something I'm ready to buy right of the store right?! Can't wait for the tutorial!

Again, these are only some, believe me when I say that I would have put almost every room in this post if I could, but I'm sure you'd all be snoozing before it's over!

Thanks for checking it out and be sure to check out whichever of these spaces strikes your fancy!

Have a Wonderful Day!

*VEL* 

 Would love to hear your thoughts! Please share away…

Show me your favorite Art - BLOGGER SERIES

I'm so excited to share with you today the second post of the BLOGGER SERIES!

In case you missed the first one, here is the LINK to some of my favorite bloggers bedside tables.

I thought of doing this to get a glimpse of some of the 'personal' stuff of my favorite bloggers, and this time around, I wanted to see what their favorite ART is in their homes!

And to be fair, I always start this series out by sharing mine.

I have two favorites. For different reasons - both personal, but on different levels.

The first one is this painting I got during my last trip to the Philippines, my home country.

Sitting pretty over our mantle

I think you can guess why it's a favorite of mine. Aside from the vibrant colors and unique scene, this painting always reminds me of  HOME and not to forget where I came from. It instills in me the sense of 'belonging' still to my native country though I live thousands of miles away.

The second one is a new favorite.

"Blue Pitcher"

I love this not only because my 2nd grader painted it, but I actually love the way he used and played with colors! I was just so amazed my son could paint something sooo beautiful. I will cherish this as long as I live. :-)

And now, for my favorite bloggers art!

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Let's start of with Bethany from the dynamic Mother-daughter team

of POWELL BROWER AT HOME.

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"Wilma"

"This is a simply gesture drawing done by my brother, artist Michael Powell.

He gave my husband and I this drawing last year for Christmas.  He's one of those 'starving' artists and struggled to find something to give us for Christmas, when I told him something he could make would be perfect.  Christmas morning we opened this up and almost cried. In about 5 minutes, he was able to capture Wilma, our beloved bulldog, perfectly.He even framed it with mirror and wood! This is by far my favorite, sentimental piece of art in our home." - Bethany

If my brother gave me anything like that, I would also pick it as a favorite, what a touching story, and what better way to SEE LOVE than thru his art!

This next two bloggers also evoked the same sentiment I had with my painting - the thought of home...

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 This one is from the incredible DIY-er, Cristina of "REMODELANDO LA CASA".


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"Bogota"

 "Yes, it's a print, my husband got it framed, and that was long time ago even before I knew him! It is a picture of the "Bolivar Square" which is located in the heart of the historical area of Bogota-Colombia, the country we originally came from, it's special to my husband because he used to play in this place when he was a little boy. I don't have those same kind of memories but I like the print, the frame and the color, brown is one of my favorite colors."- Cristina


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And this one is from my fellow Pinay Blogger and treasure hunter, Charmaine from MY BESTFRIEND CRAIG

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"It was tough choosing one because I love art but this nude painting is my priced possession. It is by a national Filipino Artist, Solomon Saprid. It used to be in my bathroom at my parents' house and when I moved here in the United States, my parents gave it to me. I love how it reminds me of home and my childhood." - Charmaine

The next one doesn't evoke personal sentiment but ingenuity when an old window and art is united to form one smashing display.

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Kim from KIM MACUMBER INTERIORS

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"Distressed, Formal, Industrial - all working together to warm things UP!" - Kim

Other people love art because of the feelings they evoke or a reminder of something important in someone's life, check out these beautiful art from these ladies...

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One my favorite & sweetest blogger, Marty from A STROLL THRU LIFE

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"Old man praying"

" It is a copy of a famous painting “Old Man Praying”. I found this and the antique frame about 40 years ago and it has hung in my breakfast area ever since. It is a constant reminder to give thanks for everything. It is definitely my favorite piece of art. " - Marty

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And of course the ever-gracious blogger & weekly host of  " Make It Pretty Monday",
Kathryn from THE DEDICATED HOUSE

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"My reason for loving this is the feeling it evokes. Time to stop and take a leisurely stroll through a garden. A slower pace of life. Utter bliss." - Kathryn

Some bloggers choose art they personally made! And this one from 

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Ging from FORTY WEEKS AND THEN SOME is a perfect example!

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"Beaches"

"My favorite artwork in my home is this custom bus roll that I made. It is made up of names of our (my husband's and mine) favorite beach destinations -- those that we've already gone to and some that we would love to go to in the future. We are both beach buddies by nature, and it seemed to be the perfect theme for our very own bus roll. " - Ging

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The last blogger contributing to this post is one of my favorite artist/painter/blogger, Kerry of Design Du Monde.

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Here are some samples of her beautiful works.

"Bluestocking Babe"

"Remembered Blossoms"

Aren't they amazing?! And she's got so much more at her Etsy store - Kerry Steele Fine art!

Anyhow, I was so curious as to what would be her favorite. Because let's face it, for an amazing and talented artist like her, surrounded by all these beautiful art, choosing a favorite must be hard right? Well, she surprised me with her favorite, because it wasn't one of her works...

"Fontainbleu"

"I have tons of my own art and work painted by my grandmother but I always admired this landscape. The story is just the kind of romantic thing that I love. My great-grandparents lived in Paris in the 1920s and my great-grandfather knew the artist, who was a bit down on his luck. Basically, my great-grandfather won it in a poker game since the artist had nothing else to bet. The scene is the forest of Fontainbleu". - Kerry

Suprised?! Well I was! 

Love all the works shown here, and it goes to show that, "Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder" - and to add on to that, "to the HEART of the beholder too"!

Thank you again ladies for sharing all these beautiful pieces to us!!! Thank you too for your amazing support !!!

Have a Great Week!!

Would love to hear your thoughts! Please share away...


Linking back to...

Homemaker on a Dime
Dwellings the Heart of your home
Under the Table and dreaming
Coastal Charm
The Dedicated House
My uncommon slice of Suburbia
A Stroll Thru Life
Cozy Little House
Our home away from home
Adventures of a DIY Mom
The Winthrop Chronicles
Carolyn's Homework
VMG 206
Gingersnap Crafts
Savvy Southern Style
DIY Dreamer
The Trendy Treehouse


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