Qaleesi's feast with a twist

“Qaleesi’s feast with a twist”

Sun.Star Davao, Oct. 25, 2014

          Mark and Natalie Wee have a fun and unique tradition when it comes to naming their adorable kids.

“We alphabetized our names according to the eldest, which is the dad of course, M (Mark); followed by the mom, N (Natalie). Our firstborn is automatically O (Ogin), then the second P (Pepito), and finally, our youngest...Q!”, Natalie smiles. However, their penchant for finding one-of-a-kind names was put to the test with the letter Q.

“At the time we were following the TV series, Game of Thrones (GOT), and found the character of Daenerys Targaryen who holds the title of a Khaleesi, which means Queen in Dothraki, fascinating. This character then develops into a courageous ruler who is strong-willed with a scholarly mind yet compassionate and honored and loved by her people. All of these characteristics were what we sought in our baby girl”, Natalie reveals.

Finally, they had a name for their darling bundle of joy, Qaleesi Noelle!

Feast with a twist

When they started conceptualizing the first birthday theme of their dearest Qaleesi, the doting parents did not think twice in choosing the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme.

“Instead of GOT’s gory medieval theme though, we gave Qaleesi’s birthday celebration a festive and feminine twist by utilizing gold and pinkish hues”, says Natalie.

Hands-on mom Natalie organized the GOT-themed party at The Apo View grand ballroom in only 6 weeks. “I already knew and trusted my suppliers for this party and thus, the preparations were a breeze!“, she shares.

Natalie and Mark, who own and operate “Hobby with My Hubby” on the side, have always been the DIY kind of parents since their eldest child’s party. For Qaleesi’s party, they designed and printed their own invites using the customized emblem for Q and addressed it in a GOT context.

The main reason why the Wees painstakingly bake and decorate their scrumptious dessert buffet is for their kids' parties and Qaleesi’s party was no exception!

Hobby with My Hubby made a voracious and impressive spread of GOT-themed sweets such as cookies with the design of the emblem and labeled it “Dragonstone Crest”. There were also labels like “Riverrun Boats” for Alor's boat-shaped fruit tarts; “Casterly Rock Tower” for Emily Herrera's French macaron tower; and, “Hodor's Matcha Cheese” and “King's Landing Cake” for Lachi's bite-sized cheesecakes.

To keep in line with the theme, these delectable confectioneries were carefully laid on Natalie’s mother's antique vanity table and bedside tables along with a quaint cupboard refurbished by Casa Soriano.

‘Game of Thrones’ theme

Natalie has always believed in her friend, Khim Cruz of Party Deco, for her ability to put to realization what the Wees have envisioned for their kids’ parties.

For the ‘Game of Thrones’ stage décor, Party Deco built a castle with a utilitarian design in soft pink shades and a smoke-breathing dragon perched on top. “Very much GOT for a baby girl!”, enthuses Natalie.

The sigil of every house of ‘Game of Thrones’ was also creatively incorporated in the party stations like the “House of Stark” for Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo Station; “House of Tyrell” for Pizza Pedrico; and “House of Baratheon” for Waffle Time.

Banners in the ceiling works and acrylic cut-outs for the table centerpieces also had the same design as the sigil and their catchphrases.

         Emily Lim-Cimafranca did an exquisite 5-tiered birthday cake decorated with the elements of GOT. The first layer was artistically wrapped in golden dragon scale; a 3D dragon representing Khaleesi's dragons in another layer; the emblem in the top layer; and the iron throne for the topper.

Entertaining the guests through songs and dances were Qaleesi’s older siblings, Ogin and Pepito, with their cousins Chloe, Chelsea and David. On the other hand, the kids' dance instructor, Mervin Roble, and his group Rhythmic Illusions choreographed an action-packed sword fight/dance to the GOT theme song.

Party giveaways included personalized pillows for the infants as well as personalized boxes with treats, crafted by Gruppo Grafica, for the toddlers and teens.

           We share Qaleesi’s amazing party photos courtesy of Richard Padillo.

 E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Mission: Make-over Ma'am

“Mission: Makeover ‘Ma’am’ “

Sun.Star Davao, Oct. 11, 2014

Day in and day out, our kids spend most of their waking hours in school. Acting as our trusted partners in molding our dearest children to be the best that they can be are their kind-hearted and selfless teachers.

In celebration of Teachers’ Day, the Davao Christian High School Parents-Teachers Fellowship (DCHS PTF), of which I am the president for this school-year, treated the school’s well-loved teachers to a much-deserved night of makeup and fashion through a special workshop.

Conducting the exciting workshop was one of Davao’s leading professional makeup artists, Carine Bacani, and the lovely fashion stylist and fellow DCHS mom Erika Soriano-Mata.

Mission : Makeover Ma’am

Carine, originally from Manila, moved to Davao three years ago with her husband and two kids. She is a makeup artist and beauty workshop trainer for private and corporate clients.

She studied makeup artistry at the Maquillage Professionnel School of Makeup Artistry and has worked with close to one hundred clients for activities ranging from debuts, formals, weddings, and corporate seminars.

On the other hand, Erika is a mom of three brilliant kids and the ever supportive and loving wife of Dr. Richard Mata. A graduate of Medical Technology from the San Pedro College, Erika has always turned heads not only for her beauty but for her tasteful fashion style. Recently, she has found a newfound career as a much sought-after speaker for talks on fashion.

Ten-minute Makeup for Busy Teachers

During the workshop, Carine taught and demonstrated the “Ten-Minute Makeup for Busy Teachers” and for a fun night out, the more dramatic smokey eyes using Human Nature and VMV Hypoallergenics’ makeup, our generous sponsors for the event.

Last summer, my sisters-in-law and I along with our friends first met Carine during an intimate makeup workshop session at home. It was a great bonding time with girlfriends as we were taught the basics of makeup using our existing stash and tools.

It was the same jovial atmosphere last pre-Teachers’ Day celebration as the teachers listened eagerly to Carine who shared her practical makeup tips. For instance, Carine shared that according to her pediatrician, did you know that when the speaker wears red lipstick, the listeners tend to be more attentive? Wow, that’s such useful information for teachers yearning for their students’ undivided attention!

Beautiful inside and out

Erika is a dear mommy friend whom I adore to bits! She is beauty and brains personified. I’ve always admired her for her tried and tested taste in fashion. Sometimes, she may be dressed simply in just a plain white shirt and jeans but when she puts her personal take on it through well-chosen accessories, she “levels up” the look.

In the workshop, Erika, who is a former Penshoppe billboard model, imparted sensible ways on how to dress appropriately for different occasions as well as according to one’s body type. She also emphasized the importance of finding your fashion style.

At the end of the workshop, teachers Mary Jane Manseguiao and Cristina Sasube, experienced a total makeover courtesy of Carine and Erika.

Each wearing the day (“no makeup/flawless”) and smokey makeup look by Carine, the two teachers were stunning donned in Erika’s pre-selected ‘surprise’ outfits.

Erika wowed us all as she was only given a budget of P1,250 each for the teachers’ new look which included their semi-formal dresses, accessories and shoes.

We capped the unforgettable night by giving away fantastic raffle prizes from Human Nature, VMV Hypoallergenics and Bloom Facial Spa.

Christian High’s next top model

Two weeks after, the PTF’s pre-Teachers’ Day treat came in handy as the DCHS Student Council organized the school’s annual Teachers’ Day celebration with the theme, “Christian High’s Next Top Model : Setting the Best Example”.

Inspired by the reality hit TV series, “America’s Next Top Model”, excited cheers from students reverberated in the school auditorium as the teachers gamely sashayed on the red carpet with their best looks.

It is worthy to note, however, that the theme of the affair did not only highlight the teachers as ‘fashion models’ but most importantly, it also focused on the educators’ role in molding the students’ character and values and how they have made a significant impact in their students’ lives.

To all the amazing and wonderful teachers in the Philippines and around the world, Happy Teachers’ Day! Cheers to you!

****

The DCHS PTF’s “Mission : Makeover Ma’am” could not have been possible without the all-out support of the ‘glam team’ Ms. Carine Bacani (For bookings, check out www.carinebacani.com; like her on Facebook: Makeup by Carine) and Ms. Erika Soriano-Mata; Human Nature’s Monique Villanueva, Joy Mempin and Sylvia Rieta; VMV Hypoallergenics’ Anna Anastacio, Marie Cortez and Jacklyn Remo; and Bloom Facial and Spa’s Golda Divinagracia. Our sincerest thanks to all of you for making the DCHS advanced Teachers’ Day treat such a memorable one!

Special thanks to Silvia Gomez-Gempesaw for Carine’s photo.       

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.