Raw talent and real people is a hard combination to come by these days. I've had the fortunate experience of hanging out, driving around, sharing stories, laughing at jokes, drinking coronas, and of course EATING with these stars on their US tour. I'm truly blessed to have three cousins that are members of this troupe (2 singers, 1 coordinator), but really, all of Arti felt like a big family. And now I'm a victim of "Ansang Fever!!"

The diversity in age, character, and talent makes this troupe one of a kind. And yes, we all hear the phrase "one-of-a-kind" for all kinds of the same thing... but really, this group has been singing/performing together for seven years. In this day and age, how many relationships even last seven years??? There are many facets that contribute to the growth of ArtiSta.Rita, but it really all stems from love; love for music and love for our culture. 7 years + Labor of Love = Beautiful

For Arti Sta.Rita, I will throw my snooty/artist/always unimpressed jackass/calm collected composure to the wind and say that ANY one of their performances will AMAZE you - from their stage productions to an impromptu rendition of "Bulan" while we sit and drink coronas :)...

I'm not only impressed and moved, I am inspired (and of course, proud)– not because they're my cousins, or because they're from my loving Father's hometown Santa Rita, Pampanga (my Mother is from Pangasinan), but because, with all sentiments aside, ArtiSta.Rita is an astounding talent powerhouse.

Bravo, ArtiSta.Rita, Bravo!


I'll be building their website @ www.ArtiStaRita.com
If you have any pictures/videos/media, please send them over and we'll put them online.

I am an art director (for now). I stumbled into that position much like I stumbled into being a designer; somebody asked me to do something on a computer, and I said yes... I never wanted to be a designer or an artist... politician or bartender is more up my alley - or anything else that involves talking to intoxicated people and/or people who need some words to help them see exactly what's in front of them.

The design gig just fell into my lap, and so did everything else afterwards... because really, design is just about making things line up. You just have to know what's pretty and what isn't, and of course, how to fix ugliness.

I do what I do because I don't do shitty work, and I won't let shitty work get passed through on my watch. I'm also just plain obsessive; that .0008 nudge or 3 frames before the cut to the next animation may not make a difference to you, but it means everything to me.

And least of all, whether you work for me or if I work for you, I will tell you when something is ugly (if you're the latter, I might be nice about it). Now, if you work for me, you may be in for a treat. If you're lazy, stupid or a kiss-ass, rest assured I will fire you. I never kissed ass when I did the grunt work, so don't insult my intelligence by doing it to me.

I learned everything I know about my trade OUTSIDE of a classroom. Granted, I don't know everything there is to know, but I'm not a fan of learning useless things either. I grasped the concepts of my trade while I was on gigs, deconstructing and reconstructing into the wee hours of the night, watching real pros crank it out, following my gut and just plain getting things done.

The bottom line is, I need to understand my audience in order to do what I do. My audience is the consumer... Studies, polls, surveys, etc. may get you a little nitty gritty on the people who's money you're after, but how do you really get inside their heads?? You get into yours first.

Before anything else, I'm a consumer - a damn good one. I'm a woman; women are shoppers. I know exactly what I'm after, and I know exactly how to get to me... Know thyself - school won't teach you that.

I'm going to need some trademarking info... and funding.

Due to some unfounded premise my client has that I can produce a 40 page book in 5 days WITHOUT any finalized content, I have resolved to desperate measures to keep my sanity. I can assure you, that book WILL go to press this Friday, by any means necessary. If I have to smash the content out of these copywriters like I muddle up a mojito, I will.

However, I came up with a new cocktail that gets you plowed like no other. Because, being the lush that I am, I can no longer get drunk on your everyday normal drinks...

start on friday:

• make the call that "I'm working from home today"
  
• bottle of wine for brunch @ habana's (aka, the house).
• break the bank with a day of shopping at the snotty mall.
• dinner at habana's again... but with more friends (who actually had to work), and two more bottles of wine...
• finish the night off with a few more cocktails.

saturday:

• pick up sunblock and vodka, soda, mint & limes to concoct some refreshing mojitos
• spend the day in the sun, by the pool and have several plates of guam style food (red rice, finadene, bbq ribs, kim chee galore, veggies and everything to make your tummy happy)
• play the clean up crew (because that's how the islanders roll)
• go home, break in (with some jimmy help) because you forgot your keys, clean up and moisturize
• pick up the boys and hit the bar
• end with a tasty harbor house meal

sunday:

• procrastinate and distract like a mother f-er
• bloody mary the afternoon
• nap
• pull an all nighter tinkering away at the macbook while watching james bond films (inspiring shit)
• unintentionally catch the sunrise into...

MONDAY:

• stroll into office at 6am
• email like a madwoman
• blog the crazy shit that got you feeling this way...
• figure out some really good make-up tricks to not look so cracked out for my meeting
• come hell or high-water i'm going home at 1 to catch the sleep that has eluded me....
• ... and back to the grind when i regain consciousness
  

this falls into my "WHO told her that was cute???" category...

watch out folks... she came from the tuff ten...

haahaaa makes me so proud to be a tagaloo... sooo funny AND i'm sober today...



mama's working late tonight.

since i will not see the light of day until friday (due to being chained to a desk and/or the macbook shackled to my wrists 24/7), i'd like to share a bit of my textually active lifestyle while causing trouble as i savored my last 2 days of sane freedom...

i just like those surveys that ask about your last text message or whatever... but dude, the randomness in my inbox/outbox is just... random. here's a bit of my history...

**actual names and dates have been omitted to protect my correspondents (but really to protect myself, so i don't get an ass beating)

my inbox:
2:16 am: nipples
8:52 pm: oy vey. still trying to find a screwdriver...
1:05 pm: lol! you grocery style whore
11:55 am: Bring some booze...
10:55 am: Bring some sun tan lotion...
12:30 am: what's the website for the sticker bra?... please don't forget the sticker for me tomorrow
9:10 pm: dood i think they might be homo friends
7: 03 pm: you wanna father my child?
1:18 pm: how's that wine? does it taste like sweet sweet freedom?
9:55 pm: but but but its mortons
9:49 pm: mortons mini burgers?
4:30 pm: just to show u that i'm not an asshole, i'll buy a bottle of wine everytime i get a fee :P


my outbox:
11:51pm: i just realized... u didn't balutan me any kalbi... lov u fukr
11:50 pm: i sooo miss guam... thanks for the island style food-all day long...
1:02 pm: i lov how tesco, bevmo and phuket thai r my neighbors... let's just say i've been around the block...
1:14 pm: Tesco is also called fresh n easy. so in the right order its.. liquor. easy. phuk. food...
10:27 am: y u calling me so early?
11:29 am: uyyy... can u just ignore that last text.... sorry, wrong person...
11:48 am: fake sick and have wine with us. we'll wait for you..
9:56 pm: burger vs. steak... big difference
7:14 pm: bring da pillow :)
7:05 pm: mama just got a fresh bottle of scotch
7:03 pm: u know... ____ said we don't have to drink when we hang out... that would be weird huh?
8:02 pm: just woke up. wer we goin?