The Picture Company Promos + Our Annual Family Photo

Each year, it has become tradition to have a nice family photo taken for us to remember each holiday by. This year, our family photo was taken by Ishee Sayson of The Picture Company in Podium:

The Dychiaos, Christmas 2013 

Thanks to The Picture Company, you can start/continue your own tradition too.

They are offering a FREE photo session for you, my dear readers. Just screen cap and print out this coupon below, call your preferred branch to set an appointment and remember to bring the print out of coupon on picture taking day. This offer is valid until December 15, 2013 only, so better book that session stat!

talk to a The Picture Company staffer for more details on this promo

That said, I would have to share with you how we enjoyed having our photo taken with The Picture Company this year.

The Picture Company at the 3/F Podium Mall

Let me count the ways (parang Hallmark card heehee):

1. They're organized and very professional. Our photographer Ishee called us days before to set our appointment. She then emailed me a booking confirmation, along with it some pegs on how she'd like for us to pose, how we can color coordinate our outfits and a reminder to bring favorite toys and outfits for the kids to wear.

On the day of the shoot, we didn't have to wait too long as they had the studio set-up ready and waiting for us. They were very patient, understanding how hard it is to get kids to cooperate, and obliged Berry's need for several costume changes, haha.

2. The studio is big and very neat. We had to take off our shoes when we stepped into the white backdrop but that was ok, the studio was neat and clean and all the props were organized on shelves  and costumes were hung neatly on racks against the wall. There's a changing room where you can change outfits in privacy, and a mirrored area where you can touch up your makeup.

3.  They work fast. We were in at 1:15 and out by 3:30 pm, and that includes the time where I stepped out to do a bit of shopping while they went through all the photos and edited them so I can just choose the ones we wanted for printing. I got our prints in about a week. 

4. Our pictures turned out great. I will let these photos speak for themselves, heehee.

5. They've got Christmas cards and gift tags! We used to have our family Christmas cards made through Snapfish, but with The Picture Company offering the service, there's no need to get it done elsewhere. Talk about a one stop shop!

The personalized cards & gift tags offer is available only until December 15, 2013 too!

For more on the The Picture Company, visit their website, like them on Facebook and follow @ThePictureCoPH on Twitter!

Berry's First Flores de Mayo in Pila, Laguna

Almost every week, Berry would ask "Dada, can you buy me a wedding gown?"

I think it's not so much that she wants to get married, but more because she wants to wear a pretty gown. When my cousin Alessa and her fiance Jigger came over our place 2 months ago to ask Berry to be their flower girl for their May 2014 wedding, Berry was so thrilled. In fact, she's been telling everyone she meets, she's going to be a flower girl. Of course, the prospect of walking down the aisle wearing a gown, even if its a year away, is like the biggest deal for her!

So when our Tita Cora messaged me on Facebook a few months ago, inviting Berry to be one of the sagalas for our town's 125th Flores de Mayo celebration, I just knew she would love it! Finally, she gets to fulfill her dream of wearing a gown!

I know how challenging it would be to find the kind of gown I had in my mind, so I excitedly asked my friend Sheryl Laudico to make something for Berry (she owns an alteration store/dress shop called Alterrific in Robinson's Magnolia). I wanted something simple, but elegant. Princess-y without going overboard. So I thought of an empire waist, tiered dress with a sash. With Sheryl, I decided on the fabrics and colors, and we chose satin and tulle with a silk sash to create this confection:

I also designed the dress to have an accent piece behind the sash, a huge rosette with small rosettes. The sewer thought of clustering the smaller ones around the big one and the effect was so pretty! Very happy that Sheryl was able to bring my vision to fruition. I consider it lucky that I got to work with Sheryl who "gets" me, because they were able to execute exactly what I had in my head.

Tita Karrots said she likes Berry's gown, I should make and she will buy in all colors, ahaha. Do I have a future in children's formal wear? What do you think? Haha!

Berry was initially shy and didn't want to join the procession that Xavi and I had to stay beside her.

Eventually, she decided to hold hands with Arianna, her distant cousin from the Rivera side. She told me it was because "Her gown is the same as my gown." Awwww.

Xavi, this post is not just about Atchi Berry. You were such a supportive shoti, you were so behaved all throughout even though it was a very warm day. I am so proud of you!

Xavi with me and Lola Lorna

Tita Cora says Berry will one day be Rosa Mystica in her teens, and then an hermana when she gets to her 20s. I have to start thinking of gown designs for her then! ;) Xavi, I'll find a nice barong for you when you become an hermano too!

PS - Flores de Mayo or Flowers of May is a festival celebrated in honor of Mama Mary in the month of May. During the last Sunday of May, a Santacruzan is celebrated with sagalas, the Reyna de las Flores, the Rosa Mistica, and hermanos/hermanas going around town in a procession. It's a beautiful religious/traditional celebration that has been celebrated in our town for 125 years now. It also happens to be a social affair with relatives from all over coming home to Pila, Laguna to join in the festivities.

Blow-up the Holidays!

The Dychiaos, Christmas 2012 take at Blow-Up Photography Studio

Family photos have become a tradition in our family, because it's just so nice to see every new addition (like Xavi hehe!) and how each one of us has grown each year. When we started sending out personalized Christmas cards in 2008, it was just me and Dada. Years later, and we've got two little ones na! 

Our first Christmas card was taken from our pre-nup photos take by Nelwin Uy. For Christmas 2009 and 2010, they were all taken at home with Dada's home studio equipment. December 2011 - we didn't have a proper one pala, we had just moved back to Manila from Singapore and we were too busy with and tired from settling in that we just didn't have time for a formal Christmas photo. For this year, we went to a studio partly owned by our friends Ning & JA Tadena: Blow-Up in Serendra.

Thank goodness. Less stress sya ha. We just set-up our appointment a week before. On the day of our "shoot",  I piled the kids onto the car, and Dada just met-up with us straight from office. When we got to Blow-Up, they were ready for us. Here's a tip, change into your "shoot" clothes there, so they don't look wrinkled in photos. That's what we did. We brought our clothes to Blow-Up still in hangers, although I had my makeup on already.

It took us less than an hour to change into our clothes and have photos taken at the regular studio shoot and the studio with the Scene Machine.

This is us with the Bokeh backdrop from the Scene Machine, looks like the photo was taken outdoors no?

They work so fast and so efficiently that you could have a professional family photo taken during your lunch break! In fact, Dada had to go straight to a meeting after our shoot, and so it was a good thing we finished so fast. Actually, and thankfully, the kids were cooperative that afternoon. Because it's a different story when your little ones aren't in the mood, right?

A few days after, we got the the low-res files so we could choose which photos we wanted high-res versions of for printing. We sent the file names back to our photographer and the following day, she sent us the high-res files. We just have to decide which ones we want printed in a certain size. Incidentally, Blow-Up doesn't only print your photos, but they can also do gift cards, Christmas cards and calendar versions as well. Check these out: 

Gift card - prices range from Php500-1000 for 20 pieces 

Christmas card

Calendar - it's an 8x12 photo print

Cute no? We enjoyed having our family photos taken at Blow-Up and loved our pictures so much that we are also planning to have the best one printed in a 24x30" size. According to Ning, we can choose if we want it printed on canvas or photo print. Just waiting for the quote on that.

It's not yet too late to have your family photos taken too. Just schedule an appointment with them,  it's so easy, promise. Location, contact details and price list are all here:

For more on Blow-Up, visit their website and Like Blow-Up on Facebook.