what a weekend!

we stayed over at parc 55 in downtown san francisco with francesca, pam and paulinne over the weekend … and pretty much they shopped ’til they dropped! well, i am pretty much done with my christmas gift shopping for family…

the view from our room! there goes manny pacquiao again!

paulinne of course !

the best caesar salad i ever had! from the cityhouse restaurant at parc 55! i love love love!

checking out !

sunday breakfast at sears! a must if you’re in the city for breakfast!

swedish pancakes!

being tourists

there he goes again! omg, i have ugly hand!

chi and pam with same shirt! cute!

clif: broke and angry! hahahhahaha!

four crazies at thanksgiving

i’m extra happy to have these four crazies for thanksgiving…

aren’t they all pretty just like the one who’s in the background? hahahha!

fail: christmas tree trimming

it could have been fun but not sure if it’s fun but it just shows you can’t have too many queens, too many artists, too many heads and hands in trimming a tree! while the kids were doing their best, the adults were also doing their best… in telling the kids they’re doing it wrong! hahhaha!

hahhaha! chi and kat pretending they’re having so much fun! “fake laughter” as they called it!

“might as well look cute”, chi and pam said

more fake smiles hahahahha

leanne and paulinne, of course just goofing around!

white people (claude and clif) just watching the “fail” hahhaha!

me? i stayed away from the tree too and just busy making my baked brie with cranberry & pecans; served with pears…

francesca expressing how it really is! hahahhah! FAIL!

blessed thanksgiving!

thanksgiving luncheon at our home

chi doing her lady gaga pose

the traditional thanksgiving food…

two turkeys!!! one from honeybaked and one from popeye’s

does this one look x-rated or it’s just me

buto’t balat na lang after rey and paulinne attacked the turkey!!!!

honeybaked ham

pecan pie

clif’s sweet potato casserole with roasted marshmallows! my favorite!

my cheesecake pops with fresh strawberry

my red velvet pops; i dipped them into orange candy coating then sprinkled them with bits of fall-themed candy bits

mini-pumpkin pies i made yeah! everything on a stick! i just think it’s more fun to eat!

oh i made these mini mango pies and used a christmas tree cookie cutter

the aftermath…

i don’t know what’s that white circle thing by my ass but i just want to show my outfit hahahah with my cowboy boots!

clif, of course washing the dishes…

and we are blessed with a beautiful weather…

our backyard! hahhaha – it’s the golf course behind our apartment building

a thanksgiving message from my twin sister :)

john schaver claims we look alike he used to be my boss and always covered my ass when i screw up which was a lot hahahha!

he’s the big one on the left hahahha; mario, his loving partner is the one in the middle! i love this couple with all my heart…

From: John Schaver

Date: November 24, 2009 7:15:55 PM PST

To: Melissa Villa <melissa@melissavilla.com>

Subject: I am so Thankful

You are on my list of things I am thankful for this year.

It’s because you invited us to that FEAST in Vallejo. Don’t get a big head.There are a lot of things on my Thankful list, and you are only at 147.

You could move up the list if you sent me the recipe that Gruyere Mac and Cheese.

happy thanksgiving!

my list of people i am thankful for…

my great daughter, francesca and my loving and gorgeous husband, clif and his children, jessica and david; and of course, momo!

my sisters, living and departed: ate lina, nanay, tabs, ninang, veronica, and juana… oh i mean nonoy hahahha!… oh and tito mac – the only living brother in law! 80 years old and still playing tennis everyday!

my sistahs: on top of my list, oji! hahhaha! melanie, avie, the aquino sisters, mich, myra, didi, joji, luie, lea (we may had a fall out but we had a good history, so don’t raise your eyebrows people hahahaha)

my departed sistah! angelica

my brothers: bong, jojo, chito, my 52 yr old adopted, tris ha! jet? not really…  well, i won’t be hypocrite, i can’t think of anything that i should be thankful for about him… long story.

my sistahs’ and brothers’ significant and insignificant others hahhaa, rey (with or without nini)  guanzon, byrn, claude, butch (my favorite asarin), manny, lisa, girltart , jeff, vermon, mon (noy’s bff)… did i forget anyone… well if i did, sorry you must be really insignificant that i can’t remember you

my nieces and nephews, well technically, my grandchildren … katrina, pam, paulinne, leanne, jomel, arlo, adi, anja, megan,vincent, denise, ally, dylan, josh, nikki, jake, dylan, miguel, ciae, chance, chelsea, chanelle… 22 of them! sorry if forgot anyone!

my girlfriends and partners in crime: cathy, john schaver hahahahah, chona banana, vina, erinn (i miss you), my st. paul’s friends, my st. luke’s friends…

my frenemies – you know who you are and i know you are always reading my blog! hahahhaha! stop hating me because i am beautiful, smart, and kind! hahahah!

well, why not thank myself too – for my good looks and good health! hahahhaha! seriously, i am thankful for all the blessings!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

this sickens me..

as filipinos are still rejoicing the wins of pacquiao and efren penaflorida, this grim news came yesterday: massacre in southern philippines! whoever are behind these massacre, i think they are beyond evil! i am lost for words – i can’t describe my disgust and anger towards these vicious, most evil and corrupt politicians who were behind these! the massacre was very calculated and planned! only the evils of all evils can do such crime!

i am lost for words for the loved ones, relatives, friends who are now mourning the deaths of their loved ones…

what’s really at stake here? money and power, plain and simple!

i am not too confident that justice will prevail – sadly, money still talks in the philippines…

and to the evils of evils, while your souls, if you have any, are burning in hell right now, may the horrific massacre haunt you for the rest of your lives!

headlining efren penaflorida!

for a change, philippine newspapers have a different headliner! it’s not the corrupt politicians or celebrities turned into politicians but a true blue hero! i am just so inspired by him, his story and his mission!

dare to live…

omg i love love love love love love love love love love this song!  and omg andrea bocelli sings it with laura pausini!  this is my life’s theme song! my mission’s theme song; must be everybody’s theme song!

Try looking at tomorrow not yesterday
And all the things you left behind
All those tender words you did not say
The gentle touch you couldn’t find

In these days of nameless faces
There is no one truth but only pieces
My life is all i have to give

Dare to live until the very last
Dare to live forget about the past
Dare to live giving something of yourself to others
Even when it seems there’s nothing more left to give

Ma se tu vedessi l’uomo
Davanti al tuo portone
Che dorme avvolto in un cartone,
Se tu ascoltassi il mondo una mattina
Senza il rumore della pioggia,
Tu che puoi creare con la tua voce,
Tu, pensi i pensieri della gente,
Poi, di Dio c’e solo Dio.

Vivere, nessuno mai ce l’ha insegnato,
Vivere, non si può vivere senza passato,
Vivere è bello anche se non l’hai chiesto mai,
Una canzone ci sarà, qualcuno che la canterà

Dare to live searching for the ones you love
(Perché, perché, perché, perché non vivi questa sera?)
Dare to live no one but we all
(Perché, perché, perché, perché non vivi ora?)
Dare to live until the very last
(Perché, perché, perché la vita non è vita)
Your life is all you have to give (Perché)
non l’hai vissuta
Vivere!

Dare to live until the very last
(Perché, perché, perché Ia vita non è vita)
Your life is all you have to give (Perché)
non l’hai vissuta mai

I will say no (I will say yes)
Say dare to live
Dare to live

restaurant review: burger bar

i love, love… clif and chi both had sliders – 3 mini burgers: buffalo with caramelized onions, angus with bacon, natural beef with american cheese; comes with skinny fries… they both love it!

and because my tummy doesn’t like beef, i had the veggie burger – made of onions, lentis, peas, rice, pumpkin puree, potato and mozzarella cheese; and i ordered sweet potato fries… my review: it’s okay, something i won’t order again…

i am definitely going back not for the burger burgers but for the chocolate burger and cheesecake burger that we didn’t have room and time for when we were there

and how could you not like the view of union square? they are preparing the christmas tree for the tree lighting this friday!