My third request from James and another investment aside from

Previous entry:  Sub Zero December 5, 2011

Previous Entry:  Mattress from the Four Seasons Hotel January 6, 2012

was the garden.  As we were rushing to move into the house after 18 months renovation already, I requested James that if we move in, I wanted the garden to be finished.  And it was a good thing I insisted on this because it makes a world of difference!  We don’t have green thumbs and don’t really know about gardening, but it was important to us that we have a nice garden that will surround us.  Thank you to Timmy

and Marcia ( with her Chihuahua in pink  ) who put together our garden!

To appreciate more how it was transformed, I am showing photos of the before and after

Front of the house - I heard that our neighbor put these trees so that it would match their frontage

We removed it and then changed it to Buddha belly bamboos.  I like it because it gives some sort of privacy instead of placing a wall

Side of the house

Changed to this

Another view, I found it a bit messy having different kinds of trees in one area

Now

The other side

Now

The main garden from the Balcony of the living room

And now  It’s just so soothing for me to come home and see this

Another view BEFORE

AFTER

Close up on the wall. James had them remove everything.  At first we were thinking of just adding, but then James just removed everything and started from scratch

We are waiting for the bamboo to grow more leaves so that we can have full privacy from the neighbors

This was the wall before we stripped off all the plants

The back garden BEFORE

AFTER!

I love the pink flowers growing on the tree.  And take note of the round balls around the garden.  So beautiful when they are lit at night.  James wanted those capiz balls hanging on the trees, it’s a good thing Timmy found this for us!  Very unique yet so simple and elegant

The side garden BEFORE

AFTER

 share with a friend

Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate - The Most Prestigious Address in the New South

A Home in the Highest Quality: Prime residential real estate within a Golf Digest Top 100 golf course.

Residential lots are clustered into small enclaves within and around the 27-hole golf course to ensure Privacy & Security.World-Class Leisure:

The Sta. Elena Golf Club, Banahaw Clubhouse, Club 22; with food and beverage from the multi-awarded kitchen of golf club Chef Joseph Goh.

Residential Pleasure in Nature: The entire estate is a nature sanctuary of forests, fairways, lakes and river streams. It is a certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary. Protected areas are designed to create habitats for birds and other wildlife. Amenities for residents to play in nature include the Big Lake, the River Park, and the Fairway Park. Holistic, Country Life at the The Fun Farm where children can fish, saddle up on a horse, or chase a chicken; and at Holy Carabao Holistic Farm where residents can harvest organic produce. 

Best Club-Style Service and Best Quality Maintenance: Sta. Elena management is known for its high standards of customer service and maintenance of its facilities. This tradition began in the Golf Club. It shall carry forth into the residential areas of the estate.

Immediate In-and-Out Access: Compared to other villages in the New South that are away from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), the Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate is the easiest commute to Makati. It only takes 1 minute to the SLEx through the Cabuyao Exit.

Off the beaten path yet so convenient: The estate’s location is the best of all worlds. It is within a 5 to 10 minute drive from the commercial centers and schools of the New South, yet it is tucked away quietly in its own little corner… and with its own exit to the highway.

 share with a friend

 share with a friend

Come to the Farm for wellness and detox.  They said that 50% of their customers are repeat customers which only proves that they are satisfied with their experience.  Jennifer from the farm said, Look ten years younger and 10 pounds lighter!!!  :-)

Once in awhile, it’s good to just get away from it all and have a retreat!  After all, It’s when you are well….. that you enjoy your life.  

Click below to go to the website of the Farm and get more information

Take advantage of this promotion!!! Only till the end of September 

 share with a friend

Thank you to Smart Infinity for a wonderful wellness retreat at the Farm 

Just upon entering and seeing all the coconut trees….so beautiful and calming 

Beautiful landscapes.  They have 36 landscapers who take care of all the trees and plants in the Farm 

Peace and quiet at the Farm guaranteed  So definitely a relaxing place and truly a perfect place for a retreat! 

You will see stones on the pathway and engraved are leaves and you will see many kinds of species on these stones 

A 200 year old Mango tree!! It’s beautiful!! 

 share with a friend

When we arrived in the airport, I asked Brian our tour guide what other things there was to see in Naga aside from CWC.  He mentioned the Hot Springs.  I am so glad, Mom decided to push through with the trip!!  We love hot springs!! Heart2Heart loves nature!! There were not that many people so it was good for us.  The place was very clean!

 share with a friend

Heart2Heart loves the new Ayala Triangle Gardens!  It reminds me of Central Park in New York, an area of GREENS in the middle of the busy city, now in Makati’s Central Business District

Take advantage of the greens in the area

There is a row of restaurants in the park

Golden Spoon was the first to open last October 14 and is still the only one open for now

Love to sit there, eat my yummy frozen yogurt and just look at the view from the window 

Right beside Golden Spoon is Breakfast All Day by Chef Laudico which will open soon

OH MY GOSH!!! Bon Chon! Can’t wait to try this Around second week of November

James is watching out for this one!! Around 1st week of November also I heard

Omakase, Pho 24, and Banapple will open on the first week of November

I guess it will be a place where people will bring their pets :-) 

A place to appreciate art as there are many beautiful sculptures by Arturo Luz around the park

Trees are even labelled 

and there is even Free WiFi in the park! WOW!! Will be loving this hang out! 

 share with a friend

BACK TO NATURE

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO UNVEILS ITS AUTUMN WINTER 2010 ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN BY BRUCE WEBER

 The group portraits are set in the midst of a primordial nature, which, with its captivating beauty, becomes the exclusive backdrop for moments of leisure.

The shots feature outdoor games in an atmosphere of relaxed elegance and a tranquil family setting surrounded by nature, in which animals and plant life play a part in the scene, helping to create a feeling of sophisticated energy and spontaneity.

Salvatore Ferragamo’s Autumn Winter 2010 Advertising Campaign was shot by Bruce Weber, who chose the exclusive White Oak Plantation at the border between Georgia and Florida as the location.

A natural park and wildlife conservation center, White Oak is home to animals at risk of extinction, enabling them to reproduce in a protected setting before they are released back into their natural habitats.

The women featured in the campaign are in the caliber of Stella Tenant, Bimba Bosé and Kirsten Owen with her two children; while the men include the model Peter Johnson with his children Kale, Lilly and McKenna, ranging from six to eleven years of age, guy Robinson and Kale.

The shooting took place in April 2010, the perfect time of year to capture the rebirth of nature at its most intense, offering an extraordinarily rich palette of greens, mosses, barks and blooms, with wildlife pictured in a handful of shots.

Indeed, it is this enchanting natural setting that emphasizes the extreme sophistication, fine handcraftsmanship and vitality of Salvatore Ferragamo collections.

The colors in the collection cover all the hues of the woodlands, while the tricot textures and leather jackets are intentionally rough and natural, and the leather in the shoes and bags have been knowingly crafted to enhance their natural and unique features.

The silk scarves printed with bright colors are pictured back in the environment that has always been a great source of creative inspiration for the brand and is the leitmotiv of the patterns and decorations: luxurious landscapes in the Savanna and forests, depicting wildcats and other wild animals.

In the Philippines, Salvatore Ferragamo is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI) and is located at Power Plant Mall, Greenbelt 4, Rustan’s Tower, Rustan’s Makati, Alabang Town Centre and Rustan’s Ayala Cebu.

 share with a friend

This is Heart2Heart’s most favorite street ( Pasay road, Dasmariñas Village )  in Manila!  It’s rare to find greens in the city and this street just changes everything- just drive through it from beginning to end - the whole street is just a beautiful arch of trees from each side meeting in the middle.  Being in the city, I guess you cannot avoid those wires crosssing all over the place 

Outside Manila, I took this photo in 2004 in Calatagan from inside the car - also beautiful

and we recently saw this in Pampanga

Andover, Massachusetts

Bohol 

Heart2Heart is still on the lookout for more beautiful streets like these  

 share with a friend