Pretty in pink

Little girls and big girls alike can't get enough of Hello Kitty!  What can be more adorable then for a little girl's birthday giveaways than Hello Kitty shortbread cookies packed in clear bags with matching polka dotted pink ribbons!

Regina turns 20 with a Bacolod feast!

Birthday milestones from childhood are traditionally celebrated on the 1st, 7th, 13th and 18th year.  For one living in the United States however, it is the 21st year that calls for a celebration.  My daughter, Regina moved to New York not even when she was 18.  So, home for the holidays before her 20th birthday which is just a few days after the new year, we celebrated somewhere in between with a Bacolod feast.  No cooking for me this time, it was all about styling the tables with a very festive look of Negros, with shredded colored Japanese paper mixed with the very famous Bacolod sweet delights.

A Birthday Barbecue

March is a big month for birthdays, with four celebrants in the family. On March 6, 2011 we decided to do something different. Out with the sit down dinners this time so we had a barbecue instead. No formal table settings, no special menus, just plain old simple burgers and hotdogs with the usual side dishes of baked beans, corn, potato salad and spaghetti. But flowers always add a nice touch so I chose a bundle of spring flowers to complement two special birthday cupcakes I prepared - citrus cupcakes with buttercream frosting and red velvet cupcakes with marshmallow icing and candy sprinkles. Blessed with gorgeous weather, it was all sunshine and cheers!

Cheers to the birthday celebrants!